Clash of the Tigers
by Obsidian Tigress
Summary: Tigers are beautiful solitary creatures. Known for their strength, ferocity, and intelligence. What happens when one tiger decides he wants the fiercest tiger for his mate?
1. Chapter 1: Observing

Disclaimer: I do not now nor will I ever own Gokusen or its characters.

Author's Note: This is a mixture between the Gokusen Drama series and the Gokusen anime, and before everyone found out that she was a Yakuza heiress. Only Shin knows. I got it like, Drama looks and set up with the anime personalities so Yankumi is much more hilariously aggressive and so on.

* * *

**Title: **_Clash of the Tigers_

**Rated: **M (language, violence, and sexual content)

**Pairings: **Shin/Kumi

* * *

_Tiger! Tiger! burning bright  
In the forests of the night,  
What immortal hand or eye  
Could frame thy fearful symmetry? _

_-William Blake_

* * *

**Chapter 1:**_ Observing_

Eyes the color of obsidian peered out beneath half closed lids. His head was laid across his flung out arm and his posture gave him the appearance of someone who was either really bored or really tired. He was neither. Contrary to his appearance and to what everyone thought Shin never slept in class, at least, not in _her_ class.

Her back was faced to them as she wrote on the chalk board. Shin momentarily took his eyes off her to peer at the math equation. He snorted before turning back to what had first caught his eyes. The math problem was easy enough that a 6th grader could do it. At least to him it was, he decided as he glanced around the class room and saw most of his classmates give up after a few seconds and continue to do anything but the task at hand.

She finally turned around to stare at her inattentive class. A slight frown marred her features before she put on a rosy smile. "Can anyone answer this question?"

Shin secretly smiled as her eye began to tick in annoyance at being ignored. "Ano...class? Helloooo?" The class continued to chatter away unaware of the rising irritation coming from their home room teacher.

Yamaguchi's forehead began to pulse and match the ticking in her eyes. Shin, seeing this, muttered, "Here it comes," before Yamaguchi finally lost it.

"OI! QUIT SCREWING AROUND AND PAY ATTENTION DAMMIT!"

The room fell silent as the entire class, save one, looked at her in shock. Shin hid his smile as he watched realization dawn on Yamaguchi's face.

"Ano...I mean...everyone let's pay attention, ne? Without the knowledge that you learn in school you could all grow up to have useless jobs and meaningless lives."

The class continued to stare at her in silence and Yamaguchi began to get nervous. _Oh crap! I've blown it this time. I am so screwed. Maybe I can run out the door and out the school before everyone finds out_. Yamaguchi thought as she glanced at the door.

Yamaguchi was about to make a run for it when someone finally spoke up. "Eighteen." The droll voice took everyone's attention off Yamaguchi and on to the drowsy eyes in the back. Everyone turned their eyes to the back were Shin was seen looking bored.

"N-nani?" Yamaguchi stuttered.

"Baka. The answer to the problem?"

Everyone turned to face the board. After a quick mental calculation Yamaguchi realized that Sawada was right. She beamed at him. "That's correct! At least someone here is learning and realizing their potential."

Shin merely turned his head from the praise and muttered a "baka."

"Jeez Yankumi you can be really weird sometimes, ya know?" said a slightly irritated Minami.

"Yeah learn to relax," added Uchi.

The noise level in the class began to rise as everyone resumed what they were doing before their home room teacher decided to get all weird on them. Yankumi tried fruitlessly to regain their attention.

"You guys? This is important. You need to learn this," Yankumi started to whine.

Shin, deciding he had learned enough for the day, got up to leave. He paused at the door expectantly; hiding a smile to what he knew was coming.

"Hey Sawada!" _Right on cue_, Shin thought. "Where're you going? You can't leave!"

Without turning around Shin said, "Out, I'm hungry."

The class erupted in laughter as they started to pack and join him.

"Hey? You guys just can't leave! This is your education we're talking about. Your future. You need this in hopes of..." Before Yankumi could continue her tirade the bell rang signaling the end of class.

Laughing again the class bid her good bye, leaving one by one until Yankumi was left alone.

Glancing around, Yankumi let out a curse before kicking her desk.

* * *

Shin smiled to himself as he heard, what sounded like, Yamkumi attacking the furniture.

"Hey Shin, what are you smiling about?" asked a curious Kuma.

"Yeah Shin, you never smile," said Noda.

The rest of the guys started to crowd around observing their friend's uncharacteristic behavior. Shin calmly responded, "Nothing," before walking off.

Noda, Uchi, Kuma, and Minami rushed to Shin so they could interrogate him so more, out of a sheer concern for their friend's sake of course.

"Ohhh Shin too cool to tell us what's on your mind, huh?" grinned Noda.

"Or maybe, he's thinking of his _girlfriend._" Minami intoned nudging Shin.

"Oh Shin tell us! Who is she?" asked Uchi eagerly.

"Yeah Shin. As your best friends its are right to know and your duty to tell us," Kuma said smartly.

"Ah Kuma, tryin to be all smart," Noda said before jumping on Kuma's back and giving him a noogie.

Shin just observed all this with a small smile on his face. He briefly thought about the woman who had been on his mind lately. He smiled again before he turned around and walked off the school grounds muttering a "baka." as his friends rushed to catch up to him.

As soon as they got close Uchi jumped on Shin's back. "Where should we go now, oh fearless leader?"

Shin pushed Uchi off of him, Uchi continued on excitedly unfazed by his friend's actions.

"Karaoke?" suggested Kuma.

The guys looked at each other and shook their heads in the negative. "Neh!"

"I'm tired of always doing karaoke, let's do something different," Uchi said.

Noda agreed. "Yeah something with lots of music and..."

"...girls! Lots of girls." finished Minami with a glazed look in his eyes.

Shin continued to walk be them in silence, shaking his head at his friends one tracked minds. _Though_, he thought, _I guess I can't really judge them on this_; his mind briefly flashing to the glasses wearing pig tailed woman that constantly haunted his thoughts and dreams. His dreams were always the same, she would come to his door in the middle of the night, he would be surprised, she would touch him, he would try to resist before he finally caved and they made love the entire night. He groaned at his thoughts. _I really need to get a hobby_.

The guys looked at each other and grinned, except for Shin who was still lost in thought, and shouted, "Covent Garden!"

Shin groaned. The Covent Garden was a pub that had games, food, karaoke, and all sorts of fun things. Shin didn't mind the place, it was fun and they had good food, but it was loud and girls always tried to hit on him despite his total lack of interest.

His friends, completely ignorant of his troubles, started to dance their way to their destination; Shin pulling up the rear grumbling all the way.

* * *

"Cheers!" shouted the five adults gathered at the bar. Shizuka and Kikuno had invited the two officers to the bar for drinks again. Kumiko, after hearing their plans, decided to tag along much to the other women's chagrin.

"Hey Shinohara-san? Thank you for watching Yuta for me last night. You looked so cute with him sleeping on your chest! Just like a father." Kikuno squealed in happiness.

"Na-ni?" Shizuka and Kumiko shouted.

Blushing, Tomoya muttered, "You're welcome."

"Oh, I asked Shinohara-san to babysit Yuta for me while I had a nurse convention. Yuta told me how Shinohara-san and him played games and how he helped him with his homework." Laughing Kikuno said, "Shinohara-san would make such a good father."

"How sneaky using a child like that," Kumiko whispered.

Tomoya continued to blush. "It was no problem really. Yuta's a good kid."

"Oh Shinohara-san, being all modest." laughed Kikuno.

"You know Yamaguchi-sensei I am very good with children too," Kashiwagi said, trying to impress Kumiko.

Kumiko didn't even spare him a glance before she rushed to Shinohara's side, leaving Kashiwagi gaping. "Ano...Shinohara-san I was wondering if we could meet somewhere and you could help me with my student's papers? Its so much to grade by myself and maybe you could help me figure out a faster better way to teach my students. Since you're so smart," Kumiko rushed.

"Hai. We can do that Yamaguchi-sensei," Tomoya smiled.

"Yes!" Kumiko smiled.

"I'd be glad to help too Yamaguchi-sensei," Kashiwagi tried again to get her attention. Kumiko continued to go on as if he hadn't said anything.

"Good! How about we meet on Friday evening? Say at 5?"

"Hai."

"Arigato!" Kumiko said excitedly. "Finally, things are working for my benefit."

The other women frowned at her. "We are going to start having to see her as a worthy opponent for Shinohara-san." Shizuka said.

Kikuno, still glaring at Kumiko for snatching Shinohara's attention from her, agreed. "Hai."

* * *

It was midnight before group left the bar, the girls drunkenly weaving around on the sidewalk and the guys behind them not doing much better.

With their arms around each other the girls started to sing loudly. The officers behind were laughing like children and started to join in.

"I drunk I may have think too much," giggled Shizuka. "Oops! I mean thunk- drunk too much! I drunk too much!"

"Yeah, me (hiccup) too!" shouted a rosy cheeked Kikuno.

"It's a good thing none of us are driving," Kashiwagi cheered.

"Hai! That would be a disaster," Shinohara concurred. "We'll walk you ladies home and then we'll leave. It'd be really bad if two officers were caught out this late intoxicated."

"Oh Shinohara! You're so sweet!" all three ladies squealed.

Kumiko giggled. "I feel all floaty. Like I could fly!" with that she took off running her arms spread out.

"Oi! Kumiko? Where are you going?" Shizuka shouted chasing after her, the others not far behind her.

* * *

Shin was in his apartment alone trying vainly to sleep. He was wearing nothing but some plaid pajama bottoms. He had a massive headache from the pounding that filled the Covent Garden. He could still all those girls drunkenly hitting on him. He shuddered at the thought. It was beyond disturbing, especially when that older lady hit on him, constantly pinching his cheeks and making not so subtle offers. He shuddered again.

He had already taken some Night-Quil in hopes of helping his headache and the drowsiness side effect. He could finally feel it taking place. "Finally," he muttered, settling down and closing his eyes.

_Eahhhhhhhhhh!_

Shin cursed under his breath. "Who the hell could be at the door this late?"

The doorbell rang again. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he grumbled.

Shin yanked open the door with a snarl on his face, "What the hell do you wa..." Shin trailed off.

Standing at the door was the woman that had plagued his dreams for months. "Yankumi..."

Yankumi stood there grinning drunkenly up at him. "Hey Sawada," she said her voice all breathy.

Shin gulped. "Yankumi what are you doing here?"

"Shhhhhh..." Yankumi said putting her finger on his mouth and her pressing her body up against his. "Don't say anything, just feel. Can you feel me _Shin_?" she breathed in his ear.

Shin could feel his stomach and other things begin to quiver. He had waited for this moment his entire life, well maybe not his entire life, but since he first discovered the passion and beauty in her it was all he fantasized about. She had no idea how he wanted to just let her have him and explore the passion he could feel rising off in waves from his body, but he knew the only reason Yankumi was doing this was because she was drunk. _As if she would ever want me, her precious student, _Shin thought bitterly.

So it was much too his regret and his pain that he tried to pull Yankumi off of him. "Yankumi, please. You're drunk. You need to go home. I'll call Kuroda-san to pick you up." He started to turn around and pick up the phone when he suddenly felt small firm hands grab him and push him up against the wall. "Yankumi.."

Shin was silenced by Yankumi's mouth on his. Shin's eyes widened before he sank into her kiss, wrapping his arms around her small frame. The kiss grew her mouth devouring his, his tongue battling hers. Shin could feel himself falling past the brink fast. He knew that if he didn't stop now he wouldn't be able too.

He tried one more time too get Yankumi off of him. "Yankumi _PLEASE!_ You need to stop and I need to get you home." Shin whimpered when Yankumi started to lick and suck on his neck.

"I don't want to stop," she groaned.

_I don't want you to either_, he thought. Aloud he said, "But I want you to."

Valiantly he continued to try half heartedly to pull her off of him, his body already mourning her loss.

Shin almost screamed in surprise and pleasure at Yankumi's next action. She had grabbed him through his pajama pants. The feel of her caressing him almost made him loose it. His body automatically responded, hardening and thrusting lightly in to her grip.

Yankumi smiled up at him, her eyes filled with a drunken lust. "Your body doesn't want me to stop."

"My body is stupid," Shin groaned.

"Your body knows what it wants," she intoned. "Do you know what you want? Or are you still in denial? Are you going to run from me _Shin_?" she breathed the last against his neck before biting, hard. It was the biting that finally undid him. With shaky eager hands he quickly lifted her up and ran to his room, her giggles chasing surrounding him.

He threw her gently on the bed watching her bounce slightly before settling on the mattress. She smiled seductively up at him, taking off her glasses and tossing them on the night stand her hair ties already gone from when Shin ran his hands through her hair.

Shin admired the way her hair midnight tresses looked spread out on his bed, the way her skin shined like ivory in the moonlight, how her eyes seemed to see in his very soul. He shuddered, he wanted her so badly it hurt, but...but... "Yankumi..." he said hating himself, "are you sure about this? If you want me to stop I will." He wasn't looking at her now, as the silence continued he sighed, _I knew it was too good to be true_. He started to get up so he could call Kuroda, when something fell on his face. He frowned before pulling the cloth off his head. It was Yankumi's shirt and pants. His eyes were as wide as saucers when he looked back at Yankumi. She lay propped up on her elbows with one of her legs bent up in nothing but a sports bra and panties. It wasn't what anyone would consider sexy or flirtatious. They were the kind things you wore when you planned on no one seeing them. To him she looked like a goddess.

He practically jumped on her in his hurry to get to her, chucking his pants off before he landed on top of her where he started kissing her like he would eat her mouth. He made his way lower nipping, sucking, licking his way to her breasts were he pulled off her sports bra. Yankumi's harsh breathing filled his ears. _No_, he thought, _not Yankumi, Kumiko. His Kumiko_. He made sure to pay extra attention to her breasts, covering one in kisses before sucking gently on the nipple. Kumiko's groaned thrilled him, her hands tangling in his hair urging him on. He gave the other breast the same treatment, blowing on the nipple this time before moving lower. He kissed his way down her stomach to her panties were they hid his most desired treasure. He licked the cloth covering her secret causing her to yelp, before laying butterfly kisses on the inside of her thighs.

"Shin," she gasped, "please!"

Shin smirked, his power over his usually dominant self reliant teacher filling him to do what he used to think of as impossible. "Please what?"

Kumiko looked at him with desperation and lust clear in her eyes, "Do it!"

Shin bit her gently through the cloth that covered her already wet nether regions. She screamed. "Kami-sama! Shin! Please!"

Grinning, Shin decided to stop torturing her and give her what they both wanted. Slowly he pealed off her panties tossing them carelessly on the floor. He looked at her precious fruit watching some of her nectar already spilling. He licked her slit before delving in and feasting on her, his tongue going in deep. Kumiko's hips began to buck in rhythm to her tongue. Her breath was becoming more ragged and started coming quicker signaling she was close to climaxing. With one more flick of his tongue she came screaming his name. Shin made sure to drink in all her juices as they came gushing out. The look she gave him was enough to almost make him climax. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Kumiko rose up pulling Shin to her devouring his mouth and tasting herself all the while.

While their mouths devoured each other Kumiko hand made its way down to Shin's throbbing member. He jerked at her touch and his head fell back, eyes closed. He started thrusting as Kumiko hand squeezed and moved up and down his shaft. Shin could feel the pressure building up in his loins and stopped her before he could go. Kumiko's protest turned into a groan as Shin thrust into her deep. Her back arched and her face winced slightly as Shin broke through her hymen. Shin stared up at her in awe before closing his eyes to relish the moment. _I'm her first... I'm her only...I'm her last. _Shin thought possessively as he surged inside her. His body began to pick up speed as he thought _Mine_. Kumiko's nails began to bite into his back as she moved her hips in time with his.

Her pants came deeper, his groans got louder, and he suddenly climaxed in her roaring, "MINE!" Her climax hitting soon after, her nails scoring his back before she settled down; their harsh breathing the only thing filling the night air. Shin crawled up her body and kissed her slowly and gently. "Kumiko...I..."

Kumiko smiled gently at him, brushing her fingers through his bangs. "You don't have to say anything Shin. I already know."

Shin kissed her again holding her heated flesh against his. She yawned before settling down in his arms and falling asleep. Shin stared at her as her breathing began to even out. _Mine_, he thought, _forever mine_.

* * *

Kumiko woke up to a massive headache and dry throat. Her body ached all over, but it one place particularly. Kumiko groaned. _Kami-sama...what did I do? _Kumiko started to get out of her bed. _Wait_, she thought glancing around, _this isn't my bed, this isn't even my room_. _What the hell?_ Someone else shifting in the bed caused her head to whip around. _Bad idea_, she thought as her vison blurred. When her vision cleared she saw somebody with a long agile body and a head full of black hair turned away from her. Her eyes widened. "OH... MY... GOD!"

* * *

End Chapter 1: _Observations_

* * *

Author's Note: Holla atcha girl to let me know how ya'll feel. No flames. If you don't like it, say you don't like it. Theirs no need to be rude. All those who are rude I will address you. Anyway, thanx for reading and make sure to hit me up with reviews. Also if I made any mistakes, which I'm sure I did, my bad. I didn't feel like re-reading to check.

Later -Obsidian Tigress


	2. Chapter 2: Curious

Disclaimer: I do not now nor will I ever own Gokusen or its characters.

Author's Note: Wow! Okay, this is pretty damn cool. Thanks for all the love! People addin me to their favorites list, people addin me to their story alert list, the reviews, all the hits my story got...thats tight. Just super cool. I'm feelin really loved right now and I'm happy that ya'll are feelin my story. **On a more professional note: Super Oober Mega Sorry for my long hiatus. I know I took a lil while, as in my sweet ass time, to break out with the next update, but I did warn you bout my laziness. I don't know if ya'll read my profile or not, but I gave a lot of warnings about how lazy I am, so don't be expectin quick updates.**

* * *

**Title: **_Clash of the Tigers_

**Rated: **M (language, sexual content, violence)

**Pairings: **Shin/Kumi

* * *

_In what distant deeps or skies  
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?  
On what wings dare he aspire?  
What the hand dare seize the fire?_

-_William Blake_

* * *

**Chapter 2: **_Curious_

"Oh... My... God!"

The body that was lying besides Kumiko stirred before waking completely. The body grumbled before turning to face her. "Kumiko-san... keep it down. I have an enormous headache from last night and you aren't helping."

Kumiko could only gape at Shizuka as she continued talking. "Ano..Kumiko-san? Are you alright? You did drink an awful lot last night."

Kumiko just continued to stare at her uncomprehending.

"Kumiko-san? Hellooooo?" Shizuka said, waving her hand in front of Kumiko's face.

Kumiko quickly shook her head before groaning and clutching her head in pain. "Ugh! I feel awful. What in the name of Kami-sama happened last night?"

Shizuka looked at her as if she had grown a second head. "Ano...Kimiko-san? Don't you remember what happened? You got drunk, we all did, and you took off running? We chased you down?"

Kumiko's eyes widened in surprise when realization finally dawned on her.

* * *

Shin woke up with a smile on his face, before he groaned at remembering last nights activities. The doorbell ringing, a loud and very drunk Uchi coming through his door, yelling about how much fun they had and how Shin shouldn't have left early, before promptly collapsing on the floor were he drooling and muttering in his sleep. Shin had carried him to his couch and gotten Uchi blanket so he could sleep, before going back to bed were he had that damn dream again.

He dreamed of someone else ringing his doorbell, of someone else being drunk, of someone else... Shin clutched his head in exasperation. No matter how hard he tried to think, to dream of something else, those dreams always haunted him. Taunted him. It frustrated him to no end.

Groaning once more, Shin got up and went into his living room to check on Uchi. Uchi was sprawled on the floor with one arm on the couch the other tucked underneath him and one leg bent outwards, snoring. The blanket wrapped around him like a snake. Shin shook his head in amusement. _How the hell does that not hurt him?_

Deciding not to wake him just yet, Shin went to his bathroom to take a shower and get ready for school.

* * *

_After they were done drinking in the bar the teachers and officers started walking down the empty streets._

"_I drunk I may have think too much," giggled Shizuka. "Oops! I mean thunk- drunk too much! I drank too much!"_

"_Yeah, me (hiccup) too!" shouted a rosy cheeked Kikuno._

"_It's a good thing none of us are driving," Kashiwagi cheered._

"_Hai! That would be a disaster," Shinohara concurred. "We'll walk you ladies home and then we'll leave. It'd be really bad if two officers were caught out this late intoxicated."_

"_Oh Shinohara! You're so sweet!" all three ladies squealed._

_Kumiko giggled. "I feel all floaty. Like I could fly!" with that she took off running her arms spread out. _

"_Oi! Kumiko? Where are you going?" Shizuka shouted chasing after her, the others not far behind her._

_Kumiko continued to run with her arms spread out, acting as if she really could fly. She finally ran to the park and stopped on top of a metal castle that stood 15 ft high in the middle of the park. The others stopped in shock when they saw Kumiko standing on the rail with her arms spread out looking, much to their shock, like she was going to jump. Their horror at what Yamaguchi was doing, worked like enzymes washing away their drunken haze and sobering them up._

"_Kumiko-san! What are you doing? Get down from there!" shouted Kikuno._

"_Listen to her and get down from there Kumiko-san," concurred Shizuka._

"_You guys watch. (Hiccup!) I'm gonna fly now," Kumiko drunkenly stated._

"_Yamaguchi-sensei! Please turn around!" Tomoya begged, worry in his eyes._

"_Yamaguchi-sensei? If you jump know that I will catch you. You are safe as long as I am here. I will protect you with my life," Kashiwagi stated._

_Kumiko looked at Shinohara and smiled. "Awwww. Shinohara-san is worried about me!" she squealed. "Never fear though. I know exa-tickly (hiccup) exsazly (hiccup) I know what I'm doing."_

_With that said, Kumiko jumped arms flapping. Fujiyama and Kawashima screamed in horror and Shinohara and Kashiwagi both ran to try and catch her._

_Shinohara caught her around the waist while Kashiwagi caught her legs. Yamaguchi started to laugh. "I told you guys I could fly," with that final statement, she promptly passed out._

_As everyone gathered around her, their hearts finally slowing down to a normal pace, they all wondered what to do with her, none of them knew where she lived._

"_Now what?" Kikuno asked._

"_Since none of us knows where she lives, I guess one of us will have to take her to our place," Tomoya said._

"_She can stay with me!" Kashiwagi offered a little too eagerly, earning strange looks from the rest of the group._

"_I'll take her," Shizuka said warily, if not a little annoyed._

"_Arigato, Fujiyama-sensei. That is very kind of you," Tomoya said bowing slightly._

_Blushing prettily, Shizuka smiled. "Well that is just the kind of person I am."_

_Kikuno rolled her eyes. "Now that that's settled lets hurry up and go. I have child to look after and the babysitter is probably pissed that I'm taking so long to get back home."_

"_Hai! We should all get going," Tomoya concurred._

_Having decided their course of action, they all left to their perspective homes, Shinohara following Fujiyama with Yamaguchi in his arms._

Yamaguchi clutched her head as everything came back to her. "Mou. I can't believe I did that!" Kumiko allowed herself to fall back on the bed, her hands covering eyes.

Shizuka patted her shoulder in sympathy. "If it makes you feel better, we were all pretty out of it." Kumiko smiled, "though not as bad as you." Shizuka muttered and Kumiko deflated, groaning.

Shizuka got up and stretched. "Don't just lay there Yamaguchi-sensei. We have to be at school in and hour and a half."

Kumiko bolted up only to fall back down clutching her head. "Itai! Stupid hangover," she muttered.

Shizuka shook her head and disappeared in the bathroom. She reappeared with two pills in her hand and a glass of water. She handed them to Kumiko, "this will help with the headache."

Kumiko gladly took it and gulped them down. Shizuka started to disappear in the bathroom again to take a shower, when Yamaguchi stopped her. "Ano...what am I supposed to do? I can't go to work dressed like this. My clothes are all wrinkled and they smell. I don't have time to go back home and change either. Mou!"

Shizuka had her head cocked to the side assessing her. "I suppose you can wear something of mine. It'd be nice to finally see you dressed like a woman," Shizuka said before going in and locking the bathroom door.

Kumiko glared at the door. "How rude!"

She went into the kitchen to get breakfast while she waited for Shizuka to finish showering.

* * *

"Uchi? Uchi? Uchi!" snapped Shin, "Hurry up! We're going to be late for school."

Uchi groaned while increasing his speed to match Shin's. "Since when do you care if we're late for school?"

Shin paused before continuing his hurried speed. "I don't want to hear Yankumi's mouth and I have a weird feeling that something's going to happen today."

Before Uchi could reply, the rest of their group came over to greet them.

"Ohayou!" chorused the others.

"Oi Shin! Why are you walking so fast?" Kuma inquired.

"He doesn't want to hear Yankumi's mouth and he has a 'feeling' about today," Uchi filled in.

"Ano... what kind of feeling Shin?" Kuma asked.

"Just a feeling," Shin said, his eyes shaded, "Today's going to be different."

* * *

"Muo! I look silly dressed like this," whined Yamaguchi.

"Nonsense! You look great. Like a real lady, right Kawashima-san?"

"Fujiyama-sensei's right. You look great. Much better than usual."

Yamaguchi blushed before realizing what they said. "Nani? What are you saying? How do I usually look?"

Shizuka and Kikuno exchanged glances before hurrying to change the subject. "I bet the other teachers won't recognize you, least of all your students," Shizuka said.

"She's right. No one will recognize you dressed like that," concurred Kikuno.

Yamaguchi's frown deepened. Already she was getting weird looks from students, some of who actually stopped to stare and point at her.

Shizuka suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway causing the other two women to stop with her.

"What is it Fujiyama-sensei?" asked Kikuno.

"I just remembered...your date with Shinohara-san is tomorrow, isn't it?" Shizuka said pointing an accusatory look at Kumiko.

"Oh yeah. I remember that now. You tricked him into a date. And you call us sneaky," Kikuno indignantly stated, giving Kumiko a peeved stare.

Flustered, Kumiko stumbled out, "it's not a date. He's just going to help me with my students' papers."

"Right," Shizuka said.

"Whatever you say. And by the way, whatever happens on this "not a date" of yours, I want complete details," Kikuno said with a serious look.

"Same here. I want to know every little detail," Shizuka concurred.

"You guys..." Kumiko trailed off. Blushing she really began to think about her upcoming evening with Shinohara. _Me... and Shinohara...on a date? _

* * *

Two heads popped into class 3-D. "You guys will never believe this."

"Yeah, it looks like Kawashima-sensei and Fujiyama-sensei are bringing in a new teacher!"

"And she's really hot by the looks of it."

The whole class started to erupt in questions, causing an uproar.

"What does she look like?"

"Are you sure she's a teacher?"

"What class is she gonna teach?"

"How big are her boobs?"

"What's she wearing?"

"How old is she?"

"Where is she?"

The two news bearers ended up pushed against the wall by everyone in the class, except for one who just looked bored. "Hey. Hey! Hold on."

"Yeah! One question at a time."

They waited until everyone was quiet. "Okay. Now she's about average height, with long black hair, and beautiful obsidian eyes."

"She's slim, like she works out, but not overdone. Milky skin and great legs."

"She wears glasses too, but they look real good on her. She looks smart rather than geeky."

"Unlike Yankumi!" That brought a chorus of laughter. Shin grunted.

"Her boobs ain't that big, like, a decent size though. She's built like an elegant dancer."

"She was wearing a mini skirt and one of those wrap around tops that tie around to the other side."

"She's young, like 20-something."

By now the guys had glazed over looks in their eyes, some were even so gone that they began drooling.

"But how do you know she's a teacher? She could just be visiting or be someone's parent," clued in Shin snapping everyone from their reverie.

"Ai! Minami! You got drool on my sleeve!" complained Noda.

Minami, with a sheepish look on his face, shrugged. "Gomen."

"Shin's right though. How do you know she's a teacher?" asked Uchi.

The two boys looked at each other before looking back at the class. "We don't."

"But what else could she be? She was walking with our only other female teachers."

Noda gave out an annoyed breath before saying, "But you don't know that for sure!"

"Yeah you idiots!" cried a forlorn Kuma.

The rest of the class began to pounce on them while Shin continued to sit in the back a slightly amused slightly annoyed expression on his face. "Bakas."

Yamaguchi was walking to her classroom her face still bearing a flushed expression. Shizuka-sensei had been right about no one recognizing her. The teachers along with Kyoto had bombarded her as soon as she had walked in the room. Full of compliments and sweet inquiries as to who she was and whether or not she was single.

Yamaguchi's face flamed a brighter shade of red after remembering how Kyoto had especially taken notice to her. He had even gone so far as to ask her out on a date. It wasn't until then that Kumiko had snapped out of her flustered state and had went on a tirade about how wrong it was for married men to try to pick up on young women. Of course it was one of her infamous speeches that revealed her true identity.

Her flushed expression quickly changed into a frown. The commotion the other teachers had caused upon finding out that she was really the dreaded math teacher of 3-D still caused her a deep annoyance. As if it was so hard to believe that she could look so womanly! She admitted that she didn't really dress femininely all the time, or at all, but still! Such disbelief was hardly flattering. _And of course all the men were embarrassed to find out that they were really complementing me, so they had to ruin it by being jerks, _Kumiko thought bitterly.

"_Yamaguchi-sensei! If you dressed like that more often maybe you wouldn't have such a hard time controlling your students."_

"_Who picked out your clothes for you? Theirs no way you could look that good on your own."_

"_Yamaguchi-sensei, keep dressing like that and you'll find yourself a man in no time." _

Yamaguchi stopped abruptly in front of her door. "That's it!" she said, "From now on I will never dress too plainly or too femininely again. I will let them see the woman under the yakuza heiress along with the confidence and strength. Fighto-O!" Yamaguchi slid open the door to her class, only to find it in shambles.

"What the hell?"

"Hey look! It must be that new chick those idiots were talking about!" Minami pointed, the first one to notice her presence.

The class crowded around her. "Wow," Uchi said, "you're even prettier than they made you sound."

"Uchi, what..." Yamaguchi started.

"You know my name? I'm very flattered sensei, who could've told you about me? It's all good things I hope." Uchi said with a grin and a bow.

"Wait a second. Are you our new teacher? What happened to Yankumi?" asked Noda suddenly concerned.

"You guys can't be serious," scoffed Shin, finally snapping out of his daze over what he knew to be Yankumi's new look.

"Yeah Noda's right. What happened to Yankumi?" Kuma asked with a worried expression on his face.

"Look you guys..." Yankumi once again started only to be cut off again.

"No offenses to you miss, you're very beautiful and all but we already have a teacher and she's the one we wanna keep," Minami said honestly.

"Yeah as pretty as you are, we like our old teacher. We have history with her and she's already one of ours, ya know?" continued Kuma.

Touched, Yankumi just stood there letting them continue to believe she was a new teacher there to replace their old one.

"Sorry, but no one can replace Yankumi. Not even a totally hot babe can ever come between us and our naive plain looking Yankumi," Uchi said, making the soft expression on Yamaguchi's face dissolve.

The other students raised their voices in agreement, banding together to protect Yankumi's status as their teacher unbeknownst_ to_ Yankumi. Shin was having a difficult time suppressing his grin at the expression on Yankumi's face.

"Now I'm sorry Miss, but you can't stay here. Yankumi may be annoying and plain and she has fewer curves than a ruler, but she's still OUR teacher! Come on you guys let's go knock some sense into that damn Kyoto," Noda resolved.

"Will you guys pay attention to me?" Yamaguchi said, no longer touched but annoyed.

Shin, finally suppressing his grin, decided to help Yankumi out. "Oi! You guys." The class immediately turned around to listen.

Yamaguchi frowned. "Sure, you listen to him," she muttered.

Shin bit back a smirk. "If you look closely and pay attention you'll notice that the mystery teacher_ is_ Yankumi."

"_HUH?_" the entire class chorused.

"That what I've been trying to tell you morons, but _you_ kept interrupting me," Yamaguchi said exasperated.

"No way," breathed Uchi.

"Unbelievable," Noda said in equal awe.

"Good job getting hot Yankumi!" Minami exclaimed.

"Wow! I didn't know you had it in ya!" shouted another of Yankumi's clueless students.

Yamaguchi began to growl. "Not you guys too!"

* * *

Dark eyes stared up at the sky, watching the clouds slowly drift by. The wind blew gently, the grass and the branches swaying with the breeze. The sun was slightly obscured by the white fluffs crowding the sky, keeping the yellow rays from becoming too intense, instead of being hot and uncomfortable the day was warm and pleasant. It was a perfect day to have a picnic or sight seeing or something else outdoors-y. _Like something out of a story_, Shin thought, as he stretched, body spread out on the grassy bank. And yet despite the beauty of the day, Shin was not happy.

Shin still couldn't get over Yankumi's transformation. She had looked like the goddess he had always known her to be. He started to frown. He didn't like how everyone else stared at her though. His fellow classmates had stared and made lewd comments about her. He, obviously, wasn't the only one who liked Yankumi's new look. He growled. He was supposed to be the only one who saw Yankumi's inner beauty, not them. He already had competition from that damn cop and Tetsu, he didn't need other students trying to garner her attention too. Not that he took them and their comments seriously. He had no doubt in his mind that the rest of his class only saw her in terms of a sexual aspect, that none of them actually saw a future with her like he did. _But still_, he thought, _if I were to advance now she might not take me seriously because of the others actions_.

"Damn Fujiyama," Shin gritted. He had no doubt in his mind that Fujiyama was responsible for Yankumi's new look. He was going to have to have to talk to her. _But how do I go about this without looking suspicious_, Shin wondered. He knew he couldn't very well tell her to back off for the sake of his education, no one would believe that. He could talk to Yankumi, but once again it would look suspicious if he started to question her about her dress when he never visibly cared before. Shin continued to ponder his options, but his musings were interrupted by a hand landing on his shoulder. Shin turned his head only to have his cheek poked by the object of his desire.

"Gotcha," Yamaguchi said with one of her trademark grins. She was kneeling to the side and slightly behind Shin, her skirt riding up her legs giving Shin a pleasant view of her thighs.

Shin turned his head away from her, hoping that she didn't notice the blush that slightly adorned his cheeks. He stared straight ahead at the lake in front of him, his mind racing. Yamaguchi frowned at the lack of reaction she got from Shin, still oblivious to his flushed face.

"Hey, Sawada?"

"..."

"Sawada?" she said slightly louder. She was still ignored.

Leaning closer she yelled, "Sawada!" Shin continued to ignore her, valiantly trying to suppress his smirk.

Frustrated now, Yamaguchi quickly grabbed Shin's ear and yelled as loudly as she could, "OI! SAWADA!"

Shin stood up, jerking himself away from her, clutching his ear. Glaring at Yamaguchi he yelled, "What the hell was that for?"

Standing up herself, she shouted back, "You were the one ignoring me!"

"So you try to make me deaf?" Shin said still clutching his ear and rubbing it, trying to get the ringing to stop.

Yamaguchi, nose pointed upwards, sniffed indignantly. "I wouldn't have had to yell at all if you'da answered me the first time."

Shin silently agreed that she did have a point, but aloud he said, "That still doesn't give you an excuse to damage my hearing."

Yamaguchi was about to retort when Shin spoke up again. "So what did you want?"

Yamaguchi gave him a clueless expression. Shin suppressed his sigh. "Baka. The reason you came here? The reason you almost made me deaf?"

Yamaguchi's expression lightened. "Oh yeah. I wanted to tell you that I'm not going to be there for Friday's dinner."

Shin continued to stare at her. He had begun to make it a habit of eating over at her house with the rest of the Ooedo Clan. Partly because of the chance to have a delicious home cooked meal and partly because he liked the familiar atmosphere, but mostly because it gave him a chance to be with her when she wasn't pretending to be someone else. She rarely ever missed dinner with her family, and he couldn't imagine why she'd miss dinner now.

"Why are you telling me? It's not like I care," Shin said rolling over to lay on his side, arms clasped nonchalantly behind his head. He may have been curious as to why she was missing dinner, but he couldn't let her know that.

Yamaguchi huffed in annoyance, her hands on her hips. Shin secretly smiled over how cute he thought she looked when she was annoyed.

"I was just telling you so you wouldn't wonder why I wasn't there for dinner, ya brat! You don't have to be rude."

"Well it wasn't necessary."

Yamaguchi gritted her teeth at the boy's rude behavior and tried to calm herself before she became violent. _Calm yourself Kumiko, he's just a child. _

When she realized the soothing thoughts weren't calming her she turned to storm off_ only to ha_ve Shin's voice stop her.

"So why are you gonna be missing dinner?" Shin asked as coolly as he could.

Yamaguchi's thoughts immediately turning back to Shinohara and their date, even if it did involve correcting her students scores and finding more effective ways of teaching and studying it was still a date, she immediately brightened; a light blush staining her features.

Shin instantly became wary seeing the blush and the dreamy expression in her eyes. He began to get a bad feeling in his gut as he impatiently waited for Yankumi to answer.

"I've got a date with Shinohara-san," she smiled.

Shin felt his heart stop.

* * *

End Chapter 2: _Curious_

* * *

I wasn't going to stop it here, I had planned to keep going, but screw it. I'm tired and I haven't updated in 3+ months so I'm due. I know this wasn't the best chapter, or long enough to make up for the long ass absence, but look at it like this; if I'da kept goin, felt the need to make this shit longer then it might've been another month before I updated. So there.

Also, about whether or not there are grammatical, spelling, or any other kinds of errors my bad. I, however, will not be fixing them. If you see a problem just do what I do when I read someone else's story and fix it while you read. You can point them out to me all you want, but they will not be fixed. I never ever read over something I already wrote. Once I write it it's done and mistakes or not I don't care. And about the tiger references those are, of course, a metaphor. It'll be in there, but very subtle. I think I also made it pretty obvious that I love tigers.

Many thanks and much love for the reviews, go 'head and keep 'em coming.

_Later -Obsidian Tigress_


	3. Chapter 3: Confused

Disclaimer: I do not now nor will I ever own Gokusen.

Author's Note: I apologize, again, for the oober long update. Honestly, I started this, like the same day I wrote chapter 2 and got like 8 pages in, but then I didn't like it so I erased it, hit writer's block and haven't looked at it since. So my bad. In order to finish this story sometime this century, I'm not gonna make this very long, 15 chapters max. Once again, SORRY FOR THE REALLY LONG UPDATE!

* * *

**Title:** _Clash of the Tigers_

**Rated: **M (language, sexual content, violence)

**Pairings: **Shin/Kumi

* * *

_And what shoulder, and what art,  
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?  
And when thy heart began to beat,  
What dread hand? and what dread feet?_

_-William Blake_

* * *

**Chapter 3: **_Confused_

Shin felt his heart stop.

His blood roared in his ears as what she said continued to repeat itself in his mind.

_I've got a date with Shinohara-san._

Shin couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He knew that she always liked the damn cop, but he also knew her to be too shy and ungraceful around men to actually initiate anything, or so he thought. He never even thought he'd have to worry about the two of them progressing as far as an actual date. Not this soon at least.

Shin ignored the light headed feeling he was getting and asked her to repeat herself.

Yamaguchi frowned at him. "I said, I got a date with Shinohara-san." Oblivious to the inner turmoil Shin was feeling. She continued. "I finally asked him. I was so excited. Actually he's only helping me grade your papers, but its close enough right? Anyway..."

Shin stopped paying attention after the first sentence. _**She**__ asked __**him**__? She actually asked him! I can't believe it._ Shin instantly thought of what he was to do next. He hadn't foreseen this. He was going to wait until he graduated to tell her his feelings, since she still saw him as a kid and especially his student. He knew that would be his best coarse of action, but with this new complication he'd have to act sooner than he had planned. Shin was interrupted from his thoughts when he was slapped lightly upside the head.

Hand automatically going to the back of his skull he said, "Oi! What was that for?"

"You weren't paying attention to anything I was sayin were ya, Sawada?"

Shin continued to glare at her not wanting to admit that he was too busy caught up in his own inner monologue to hear anything she was saying.

"I knew it. That's the problem with you youngsters, you never listen to your elders."

Instantly irritated at being refereed to as a youngster again, Shin pointed out the obvious, "Your only six years older than me Yankumi," Shin stared at her sideways, his arms folded. "That's still an acceptable dating age."

"Don't be stupid Sawada," she said, instantly dismissing him, "you're way too young for me to date and besides you're my student, and it doesn't matter that I'm only six years older than you I'm still older and you should listen...HEY!"

Shin, in a fit of rage at having all his insecurities confirmed once again by his clueless teacher, tossed all caution to the wind and grabbed Yankumi's blouse, yanking Yankumi to him. She was very close to him now and Shin could feel all her soft curves pressed up against his own anxious body. Shin inhaled deeply before calmly continuing, "I won't be your student forever and after all we've been through together I would've thought you were smart enough to realize that I'm no child, but I see that I obviously gave you too much credit."

Yamaguchi could only stare at Shin as he held her more with the intensity of his look than by the grip on her top. She had never seen Shin act this way, least of all with her. A part of her, the teacher part, was concerned at Shin's unusual behavior another part of her, the woman part, was transfixed on him and curious as to what else he might do. This, of course, just confused the hell out of her.

Still staring at her deeply, Shin briefly lost focus as he reveled in their close proximity. Unexpectedly, Yankumi didn't immediately put a move on him for grabbing her. Rushing and using his anger at her and the damn detective to fuel his actions, Shin gave her a short but thorough kiss. Momentarily stunned at his own actions Shin merely stared at her for a few seconds before releasing her, causing Yankumi to stumble at the sudden movement.

"Remember to think about **that** while you're on your _date_," turning his back on her, Shin sauntered away.

"Later Yamaguchi," he muttered, leaving his bewildered teacher in a stunned heap.

All alone Yamaguchi just stared off into the distance. _What just happened?_

* * *

"Ojou has been acting weird ever since she got home."

"Hai, do you think something happened to her while she was at school?"

"Not sure, maybe we should ask?"

Kumiko's cronies were sitting in a circle a little ways away from her discussing her unusual demeanor. They couldn't quite put their finger on it but they knew something was amiss with her. They all glanced at her dazed expression, then as one looked up in remembrance of how she usually reacted when she was interrupted, then shuddered.

"Aniki, I'm scared," whimpered Minoru.

"Hai," agreed Tetsu.

Just then the leader of the Ooedo Clan and head of the household walked in. "What's going on?"

The cronies bowed in greeting before addressing the Kumichou.

"Ojou has been acting very strangely Kumichou."

"Hai, she's been staring off into space and sighing a lot and she hasn't moved from that spot in hours. We think something might be wrong with her."

Kuroda grunted before walking over to sit down next to his obviously distressed granddaughter on the porch.

"Kumiko?"

Kuroda's granddaughter continued to stare off into nothing, her name unheard.

"Kumiko?" this time Kuroda's inquiry was followed with a bump of shoulders.

Kumiko snapped out of her trance and looked up startled at her grandfather's presence.

"Hai, Ojii-san?"

"Are you well Kumiko? According to the others you have been acting oddly all night."

"Huh? Oh! Its nothing. Don't worry about me, heh heh heh..." Kumiko laughed nervously trying to convince her grandfather that their was nothing wrong, she failed miserably.

Kuroda just continued to stare at her until she lost the false smile and she looked down. She sighed, "Ojii-san? Have you ever been in a really conflicted situation? Like someone who you always thought as, like, a friend, suddenly does something that isn't very friend like, and now you're completely confused on whether or not you're still friends or if what happened was a misinterpretation and even if it was, how do you face the same person again without it being weird, especially if it wasn't a misinterpretation and they actually meant what they did and that means that they liked you all along, and now when you actually think about it, it was obvious all along, and now you feel stupid for not being able to notice something that should've been so obvious, but either way you're still confused? Do you know what I'm talking about?" she finally finished in a rush of breath.

"Uhhhh..." Kuroda cleared his throat. His granddaughter had spoken so fast that he was only able to catch the gist of what she was saying, and he was still stumped. "Well Kumiko, life often throws us a curve ball when we least expect it, it's your choice to either go with the flow or to try and put a stop to it."

"I get what you're saying. You think I should set him straight!"

"Erm, Kumiko? That's not what I meant," his words fell on deaf ears as Kumiko continued her rant.

"I need to let him know that I'm his elder and he just can't do that," Kumiko exclaimed.

"Kumiko?"

"Haha! And here I was worried about nothing. How dare that little twerp make me feel all confused."

"Kumiko?"

"Oh, he's gonna pay for that. I actually was beginning to think their was something wrong and that their was actually something going on with him. Well I'll show him."

"Kumiko! Just listen to me for a second. I think you're deliberately trying to miss the point- er, Kumiko?" Kuroda looked around confusedly looking for his granddaughter.

Wakamatsu spoke up, "Kumichou? She left a few seconds ago. She's in her room making plans on "how to teach that damn brat a lesson."

Kuroda sighed. This did not bode well.

* * *

Kumiko was up in her room pacing and trying to think of ways to set that "damn Sawada" straight.

"I could...no, I don't wanna get fired. Or maybe I could...no, that'll get me arrested."

Kumiko couldn't think of a single thing to do that wouldn't involve her getting sacked or arrested.

"I got it! I can follow him and...urg! Why is this so hard?" Kumiko was frustrated at her lack of progress at Sawada's demise. She, the heir, the Ojou of the Ooedo Clan couldn't think of a single way to make a teenage boy's life miserable. Not a legal way, any who.

"Maybe I should just pretend nothing happened," she said with a sigh. That's when it hit her. It was perfect. Nothing was as fragile to a man as his ego. _If I pretend nothing happened and show that I was completely unaffected by his_, Kumiko blushed at the thought, _kiss then I can make him suffer more than if I gave him detention or anything of the like_.

"Heh heh heh. Sawada, you're about to find out why you should never mess with the heir of the Ooedo Clan," Kumiko smiled darkly as she began to completely formulate her plan.

* * *

Somewhere, a little ways away, a toned frame shivered in apprehension.

"Are you okay Shin?" Noda asked.

The rest of the guys looked at him.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just got the chills." The boys shrugged their shoulders and went back to playing darts and talking about the neighboring girl's school.

Shin stared off into the distance. _I got a bad feeling about tomorrow_.

* * *

"Hey Uchi? How much you wanna bet that Yankumi goes back to lookin like her usual drab self?" Minami jeered.

"No bet. Their's no way she'll be ever to keep up lookin that good for more than one day." Uchi laughed, "Besides, I heard from the other teachers that the only reason she looked that good in the first place is because she borrowed something from Fujiyama-sensei."

"Figures the only way she could look good is if she borrows something from a hot woman like Fujiyama-sensei," Kuma added in, the whole class having listened to the conversation.

"I'll take that bet," Noda said laughing. "You saw how happy she was when we were talking about how good she looked, even though we didn't know it was her at the time. My bet is that now that she's seen what it feels like to be one of the beautiful people she won't wanna go back."

"Fine, you're on," exclaimed Minami and Uchi and they did an awkward triple handshake.

Everyone laughed. Everyone except for the obsidian eyed observer in the back who was too lost in his thoughts to even get pissed off at the fact, that once again, they were insulting his, or what he liked to think of as his, woman.

Ever since that kiss Yamaguchi was all he could think about. His heart had been in overdrive since this morning at the prospect of seeing her again. He wasn't sure how he should act and he was even less sure on how Yamaguchi would act. _She'll probably avoid me_, he thought bitterly. Or act all nervous and dorky like she usually did, only worse.

Shin sighed. _Perhaps I should've planned this out more wisely. Nothing wrong with putting some distance between us for a little while. It'll give us both time to get our emotions under control_. With a nod Shin confirmed that that's what he would do. He began to get up and get his things when the door slid open.

* * *

The room was deadly silent as Yankumi walked in. She was beginning to get nervous and considered going back, but she held firm. It took her all night to perfectly devise her plan and their was no way she was backing out of it now. Yankumi continued her march into the classroom and firmly set her things on the desk. Right before she could dictate to the classroom what the lesson plan of the day would be, she was interrupted by Noda's voice, "Pay up you two. I told she'd come in lookin hot again."

Yankumi began to blush and get side tracked. _Hot? They think I look hot? Those boys, I guess they really aren't all that bad._

"Aw man! Way to go Yankumi! Because you had to borrow some of Fujiyama-sensei's hand me downs we're out 1,000 yen!" Uchi complained.

Yankumi's eyebrow began to twitch.

"Yeah. You should really get your own clothes too instead of just borrowing all the time. You look like a cheap knock off of the real thing," Minami rudely pointed out.

A vein popped out that began to match the rhythm of her twitching eyebrow.

"We can understand why you'd wanna look like Fujiyama-sensei or even Kawashima-san, but this is just sad. You really need to learn to be your own person," Kuma said gently.

Yankumi began to clench her fists in time with her pulsing vein and her twitching eyebrow.

Shin hid a smirk, she was real close to losing it.

"Hey you guys! Lay off her," Noda defended. Yankumi began to calm down. It appeared that at least one person was on her side. "So what if Yankumi has no chance whatsoever of ever looking as hot as Fujiyama-sensei? Or that her very attempt to is comical?" the pulsing, clenching, and twitching returned as Noda continued, "It doesn't matter. She's our Yankumi, and our Yankumi wouldn't be the same if she didn't look goofy, or plain, or nerdy. That's just who she is," Noda stated by wrapping his arm around Kumiko's shoulders. "So there," with that he gave Yankumi's shoulder a squeeze and sat back down to the class' resounding laughs.

Yamaguchi was shaking. Her body actually vibrated with anger and embarrassment. She looked up with a glare that would've sent the devil packing. The class immediately quieted down and began to gulp nervously.

"Uhhhhh... Yankumi?" Minami braved.

"_You little bastards..._" her voice came out several octaves deeper and slithered through the room. She began to march forward her eyes set deep into Nodas'.

Shin's smirk disappeared. This was bad. Yamaguchi was so mad that she might do something that showed her gang member heritage. He had to do something or Yamaguchi could get fired. As much as it pained him to do it, he knew it was the only way.

Raising his voice he said, "I heard Shinohara-san was upstairs holding a bouquet of roses."

Immediately Yankumi snapped out of it and, with a grin, took off running. The class expelled a breath of air.

"What the hell was that?"

"I was so scared, I damn near wet myself!"

"Man, she's never looked that pissed before."

The voices continued as the class relived the horror of what Yankumi might've done.

Shin sat back. He had planned on leaving before he got to see Yamaguchi, but after he had saw her in that nondescript coral colored teacher get up he had the sudden urge to stay. Something about that scholarly look of hers made him want to reach beneath and see the woman underneath the professional. Shin shook his head at his wayward thoughts. Now was not the time or place to be thinking such thoughts, but he couldn't help it. Everything about her fascinated him and he couldn't figure out why. She certainly wasn't that beautiful, but she wasn't ugly. Her taste in clothing was severely lacking. Even her hair style was plain and childish and did nothing to enhance her looks. The glasses didn't help either. He still couldn't figure out why she wore them when she made it clear that she could see perfectly without them; hence her taking them off before a fight and that she never wore them when at home. _Maybe they were to help her pull off that cute nerdy look she wears so well?_ He thought with a slight smile. All his thoughts weren't helping to explain the enigma that was Yamaguchi, nor were they helping to explain his utter fascination with her. Every time he thought of her he was reminded of that one famous poet's poem. Shakespeare, Sonnet 130.

_My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damask'd, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground: And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare._

_That man really knew what he was talking about_, Shin thought, _loving someone for their faults and seeing beyond beauty. Maybe I should send a copy of that to her, _Shin mused. _Nah, she probably wouldn't get it and it'd just be sad to have to explain it._

Shin laid his head down on his desk with a sigh. After everything that happened it looked like nothing had changed.

* * *

After Yamaguchi searched the entire upstairs from the west to the east wing and realized that Shinohara _wasn't _there, she sat down in the cafeteria. This wasn't going according to her plan at all. She was supposed to show off how beautiful and professional she looked and treat Sawada like the student he was. She had gone for a scholarly look while still trying to maintain some look of femininity. She had dressed in a coral calf length skirt and a button up milk white shirt. She even had her hair pulled back into a bun, and instead of being treated like a professional she got mocked and told she was a knock off, she thought bitterly.

She sighed. Shin had helped save her again. How was she supposed to stay mad at him and hand out divine retribution when he was always helping her out? It wasn't fair. _It looked like he really is the only one that has my back_, she thought fondly. She immediately blushed and began to shake her head fiercely at her wayward thoughts. _Bad Yankumi, bad!_

This wasn't good. She was talking to herself. _How sane of me_, she sarcastically thought.

She rested her head on the table and sighed. After everything that happened it looked like nothing had changed.

* * *

After the bell rang and her class left with more enthusiasm than usual she sat down in her chair and placed her elbows on the desk. It was weird, she thought, her class had been abnormally quiet. They had actually done what she told them too and astonishingly enough they had actually done the math problems she assigned them. She smirked, _I knew the scholar look would work_.

She rested her head in her hands, despite what the little bastards had said about her "hand me down" look it seemed to have a positive effect on them. They were right though. She couldn't keep borrowing Fujiyama's clothing. Not just because Fujiyama was beginning to get annoyed at having to share with her or because of the height difference that made fitting her clothes a challenge, but because that her and Fujiyama did not have the same style in clothing at all. Fujiyama's clothes were too girly and flashy, not very comfortable either. Yankumi always believed in comfort before style, which might have had something to do with her lack of taste. _Maybe I should go shopping_, she thought.

Yankumi, so caught up in her thoughts, didn't notice the other presence in her room making its way toward her.

* * *

Yamaguchi looked tense. Her thoughts were flying across her face. Shin thought while he sat back in his seat with his feet propped up. She hadn't even noticed him yet. He frowned. He didn't like it when she ignored him. He'd have to do something about that he smirked, feeling a boost of courage.

He made his way over to her.

* * *

Yamaguchi suddenly felt hands on her and started to turn to grab the attacker, but the hands holding her tensed and forcefully made her stay put. She felt a face come near hers and then suddenly lips lightly brushing against her ears.

"You look tense sensei. You need a massage."

Yamaguchi shuddered.

Shin, because who else held that level of arrogance and would attempt something like that with her, slowly began to work out the kinks in her shoulders.

Yamaguchi moaned at the touch and Shin smirked.

His hands began to go lower as he worked out the tension in her body.

_I should stop. I should really stop this. This is getting way out of hand_, Yankumi thought.

Yankumi gasped and shuddered when she felt Shin bite her neck. Shin noticed the conflicted look on her face and knew that if he allowed her to think she would put an end to both of their therapeutic needs. He didn't know where this was going or how far it would go, but he intended to find out.

His hands reached her waist and started to make their way to the front of her blouse.

"Shin," she breathed.

He shuddered. _This was happening_, he thought. Fuck everything else. This was the first time she had ever said his name, and to say it in such a breathy moan...he couldn't wait anymore. Fuck his plans, his waiting, his romancing, a better setting, this was happening.

Eager, he turned her around and pushed her against the desk just as the door began to slide open.

He and Yankumi jumped apart like they had been electrocuted. Shin would've thought it comical to see Yamaguchi do a flip over a desk and trying to fix her clothing with a red face if he hadn't been so frustrated and horny.

_Fuck!_ He thought.

* * *

"Yamaguchi-sensei, you're late for the faculty meeting. What were..." Sawatari's voice cut off as he got a look at them both. "What's going on here?"

Yankumi stuttered. _I am so fucked. I'm beyond fucked. Shit! Ugh! What do I do? What do I do?_

As Yamaguchi seemed at a lost of words, Shin decided he should speak up before Kyoto got to suspicious.

"She was giving me study tips for our next test," he said with look of indifference on his face, while inside he was fuming. _Damn him! I was so close._

* * *

Yamaguchi was thankful that at least one of them had the sense to explain their rather compromising situation, until she remembered that if it hadn't been for him their wouldn't be any need to explain anything.

_That damn Sawada! He did it again! Oh he will pay_, thought Yankumi murderously, not noticing the blush that stained her features in remembrance of their previous actions.

"Yamaguchi-sensei?"

"Yamaguchi-sensei?

Yamaguchi was knocked out of her musings when a something bumped up against her. She turned to see that it had been Sawada. He was looking at Kyoto, but still was standing close enough so that she could feel the heat coming off of his body. Her fading blush flared back to life at the realization. She discreetly moved away a few steps and looked forward to see that Sawatari was still looking at her with an expectant look.

"Oh! Umm, yes Kyoto?"

Sawatari pushed up his glasses. "Yamaguchi-sensei, I know it must be hard having to constantly compete with others in not only beauty, but intelligence, but I'd appreciate it if you would spend your moments of insecurity on your own time. Now, the rest of the teachers have been waiting for you so we could start the staff meeting, please follow me." With that he turned around and left.

Yankumi clenched her fists. "Dirty, rotten, rat faced bastard."

A chuckle came from behind her.

She turned. "Oh Sawada! You're still here?"

Shin had his head cocked to the side. "So I'm back to being Sawada?"

Yankumi looked at him in confusion. _What the hell is he talking about?_

Shin shook his head ruefully. "Never mind. Go to your meeting Yamaguchi."

She gasped in remembrance. She was already late and here she was talking like she had all the time in the world even after Kyoto came in and berated her. She began to dash out of the room when Sawada's voice called her back.

"We will finish this Yamaguchi."

She hesitated before she kept going. She didn't want to dwell on what his words meant.

* * *

Yamaguchi was walking home, caught up in her thoughts, as usual, of late.

_That damn kid. What am I gonna do about him? Every time I wanna be mad at him and do something to make him pay he pulls some kind of sweet guy act, and I can't be mad any more. Like with Kyoto, he saved me again. He's always doing that_.

She looked up at the trees. _He'll make someone a happy woman_. She blushed at the thought of him making her a happy woman.

She shook her head fiercely. Her thoughts were going to get her in trouble. She had her thoughts, as well as her body, knocked out from the sudden collision of another person bumping in to her.

"**Who the hell's the stupid asshole who wasn't watching were they were goin?**"

Movement came to a standstill as everyone turned to look at the infuriated woman.

Yankumi looked around. Everyone was staring at her. The student who had accidently crashed into her was sitting, looking up at her with bugged out eyes and a slightly scared look on his face.

_Aw crap. I did it again_. Yankumi quickly tried to smooth things over. "Um what I meant was that next time you should be more careful. You could really hurt someone by not paying attention to what you're doing. And this is still school property, you shouldn't be on a skateboard," she said helping him up and brushing him off. "So just keep that in mind next time, ne?"

The boy nodded quickly.

"Good...bye then," she said walking off.

She started down the walkway again, ignoring the looks people were giving her. _I really need to learn to watch how I act around others. It's not like Sawada's always gonna be there to save me._

She stopped and sighed. _Their I go, thinking of him again. What's wrong with me?_

"Hey Kumiko-san?"

Yamaguchi turned around to see who was calling her. It was Fujiyama and Kawashima.

_Great. Have they come to make fun of me too?_ she thought dejectedly.

"Hey Kumiko-san? What's with the look? You don't look happy to see us," Fujiyama pouted.

Yamaguchi sweat dropped. "A heh heh heh. It's nothing like that. I've just been having a bad day."

"Oh really? Why?" inquired Kawashima.

Yankumi thought back to all the events that had taken place that morning and washed over it. "You know, the usual. Disrespectful students, Kyoto acting like a jerk, this and that."

"Ohhhhhh," they both said in unison.

"Well," Fujiyama said, "I never had that problem, but I guess you would know all about that."

"Hey!"

"So," Kawashima rushed, "have you decided what you're going to wear for your study date with Shinohara-san?"

"Oh yes, your date," Fujiyama said with somewhat of a sneer. "Show us what you're wearing so we can tell you if it's wrong."

Yankumi stared at them dumbly. _Date? What da...Oh CRAP! I completely forgot that I have that study session with Shinohara-san tomorrow. Un-freakin-believable_.

Noticing the look on her face, Kawashima voiced her disbelief. "You forgot? How could you forget?"

"Ummmmm. Well... you see..."

"Weren't you the one that only yesterday, was blushing and giggling, like a school girl over your date? How could you forget so soon?" Fujiyama asked suspiciously.

"I just got preoccupied, alright!" Yamaguchi said defensively.

"Fine, calm down," Kawashima soothed. "You still have today to get ready. So, let's go shopping!"

The jealousy Fujiyama was feeling towards Yamaguchi faded at the mention of shopping. They both began jumping up and down, dragging Yankumi into it as they made a rush for the closest mall.

_Why me? _Yamaguchi whined.

* * *

It wasn't until a couple hours after they had been shopping that the statuesque teacher and the nurse realized that the main reason they had come was to help dress Yamaguchi, who had been stuck carrying all their bags.

They both looked back at her. "I guess we should help her out now, eh?" Kawashima said.

"I guess," Fujiyama replied.

They led Yankumi to the nearest clothing outlet were, in relief, Yankumi finally sat down and placed the heavy bags on the floor.

"Ehhhhhhh. My aching back! I saw what you bought, they're just clothes how can they be so heavy?"

"They are not just clothes," Fujiyama sniffed indignantly, "they are ensembles that further highlight our beauty."

Kawashima rolled her eyes at the over dramatic statement. "What she means is that clothes tell a lot about a person and yours say that you're a stiff virgin."

Yamaguchi jumped up with a blush staining her features. "They do not! They say I'm a scholar and that I have authority."

"Whatever honey, the point is, you need a make over and luckily for you, you have us here to help you out," Fujiyama said.

"I am not sure whether or not it's luck or a curse," Yamaguchi muttered.

* * *

Hours later and a half a dozen shopping bags heavier, Yankumi stumbled through the doors of the Ooedo household. Kicking off her shoes lazily and dropping the bags on the floor, where she knew one of her lackeys would get it, she walked into the living room, and her shoulders slumped.

It had been a trying day. _I pray to Kami-sama that I don't have to do this again any time soon_, Yankumi thought with a grimace.

"Welcome home Ojou!" her lackeys cried enthusiastically.

"Eh."

"Are you okay Ojou?" Minoru asked with concern.

"Eh."

"Would you like some tea Ojou?" Tetsu tried.

"Eh."

"Did something happen today Ojou?" Wakamatsu finally braved.

"Hmmmm," Yankumi thought.

Her minions moved forward to hear.

"Genmaicha tea," Yankumi finally said.

The boys nearly toppled to the floor at the anti climatic statement.

Tetsu was the first to recover. "Right away Ojou."

"And hurry up. I wanna drink it while I bathe."

"Hai!"

* * *

Kumiko sank into the tub with a blissful sigh. Her hair was tied up in a bun and she was breathing in the steam coming from her tea cup.

Tetsu had set up a miniature burner so she could refill her cup when she wanted to. Taking a small sip she sat back in the tub and placed her cup down on the stool.

_It was weird_, she thought. The entire time she was shopping she couldn't work up even a little enthusiasm for her date with Shinohara tomorrow. She'd usually give anything to be in the position she was currently in, but now? All she could do was just wait for it to happen.

The giddiness was gone. The tingles, the fantasizing of them having a shinto wedding, everything. _It's like finally getting over a crush because you found someone new_, she thought wistfully.

She suddenly shot up. "Baka baka baka! What are you? Crazy? You are not crushing! Repeat after me, You-Are-Not-Crushing!"

A knock came at the door. "Ojou? Are you okay? Do you need help?" It was Tetsu.

Kumiko sank deep into the tub with embarrassment. "N-no. I'm fine. Just...um...thinking out loud."

"Okay. If you're sure?"

"Yeah! Fine!"

"Alright then."

She could here Tetsu walking away. She heaved a sigh. She really _really_ needed to stop and think before she spoke.

She grabbed her tea cup and drank the rest of its contents before putting it down. Then, grabbing the wash cloth, she leaned back and covered her eyes.

* * *

Kumiko was awakened from her light nap at a knock on the door.

"Dammit Tetsu, I said I was fine," Kumiko growled irritably.

Without reply, the door opened and in walked Shin.

Kumiko stuttered and blushed in a combination of shock and embarrassment. "Sawada! What the fuck are you doing here?"

He smirked as he shut and locked the door behind him. "You said I could come over anytime, remember?" he said as he began to walk further inside.

Flustered Kumiko yelled out, "You know damn well I didn't mean while I was taking a bath! Get out!"

Shin continued to ignore her and began to take his clothes off.

Kumiko gaped as her heart raced. She knew her mouth was wide open, but she couldn't find the sense of mind to close it. There her student was, in her bathroom, while she was naked, taking off his clothes as if he meant to join her.

If anyone ever found about this she was so fired. She'd never be able to teach again. All her hopes and dreams, her promise to her parents, all gone because one little teenaged brat wouldn't leave her alone.

Kumiko was interrupted from her frustrated mantra when she felt the bath water rise and warm arms wrap around her.

She tensed.

"What's wrong, Kumiko? I thought you wanted me."

She blushed furiously while she thought of an answer. "You're my student Sawada, what I want doesn't matter; I can't do anything with you because it's wrong."

Catching herself she hurriedly continued, "Not that I do want you or want to do anything mind you!"

"You're lying Kumiko. Admit it."

"I-I'm not lying."

"Yes, you are. I felt how you shuddered when my lips caressed your ear and how you gasped when I bit you. You want me just as bad as I want you. Now this is gonna happen, and we're both going to enjoy it," he said leaning forward.

"Sa-Sawada?" Kumiko said nervously, his lips just a breath away from hers.

A knock at the door jolted Kumiko from her light nap. She sat up so fast the water teetered over the edge and spilled on the floor.

She was gasping, her heart going a million miles a second. _What the hell was __**that**__?_

"Ojou! Ojou! Are you alright? You were in there for a long time so I came to check up on you." Tetsu's voice.

"I'm fine," Kumiko croaked out. "Just... fine."

"Are you su-"

"Good night Tetsu," Kumiko interrupted.

Tetsu sighed. "Good night Ojou."

She listened to him walk away.

She sat back with a loud sigh, rubbing her face. _From now on, I'm sticking to showers_.

* * *

End Chapter 3: _Confused_

* * *

Final-fuckin-ly! Shit! Thought I never be done with this damn thing. Bet some of ya'll were thinkin I'd never update huh? Can't blame you. I'd probably would've given up on me too. For those of ya'll who kept the faith, many thank yous. I will apologize now for any mistakes I made, and tell you that they will never be fixed cuz I'm too damn lazy to go back over my work. I did an ass blistering 15 pages to make up for the long as hell update. I hope you enjoyed and good night, I'm going to bed. I got work in a few hours. I was gonna save it for later on today, but I was determined. **REVIEW PLEASE!**

Until next time. Later -Obsidian Tigress


	4. Chapter 4: Anxious

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor will I ever own Gokusen or its characters.

Author's Note: Why did I take so long with the update this time? And red hits the buzzer first.

I'll take "Because you're super lazy" for 500pts.

Checking the board aaaannndddd….. He get's it! 500pts for team Pissed Readers.

* * *

**Title:** _Clash of the Tigers_

**Rated: **M (language, sexual content, violence)

**Pairings: **Shin/Kumi

* * *

_What the hammer? What the chain?_

_In what furnace was thy brain?_

_What the anvil? What dread grasp?_

_Dare its deadly terrors clasp?_

_-William Blake_

* * *

**Chapter 4: **_Anxious (Part one)_

She was ignoring him.

He could feel it.

She thought she was being inconspicuous about it, but she was never good at being subtle about anything.

It's not like Shin was an idiot HE noticed everything, especially when it came to her. And she was definitely ignoring him. She would studiously avoid meeting his gaze. Walk faster if he happened to be walking in the same direction as her. Always duck into a room whenever he passed. Rush out the room as soon as class was over to avoid any "after class chats." In class, rather than letting him answer the question, she would just tell them the answer instead when it became obvious no one else would. What really got to him though, was when she stopped coming to the rooftop.

It had been three weeks.

Three fucking weeks!

Three weeks since he had had a chance to speak to her alone. Three weeks since he had had a chance to touch her. Three weeks since he had had the chance to kiss her. Three weeks since _he_ had finally made his move and took what belonged to no one but him.

He was going crazy. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He hated the fact that she wouldn't allow him to be near her while that _kusotare_ could be near her whenever he wanted.

She had gone overboard and had truly pissed him off though, when she had went as far as having Tetsu-san and Minoru-san lie and say she wasn't feeling well when he came over to visit. _**That**_ was going too far. Her family was the closest thing to a real family he had other than his sister and friends. He felt even more comfortable with them because they didn't treat him like he was special. They didn't treat him like he was some cool untouchable entity. They didn't turn to him every time a problem arose or looked to him for guidance. They just saw him as a person. No one special. No one to be admired, or revered, or followed.

He loved it. He loved the normalcy of it. The lack of pressure to always be so strong and so untouchable...and now, because of _her_, that was being taken away from him. He would not accept that. He refused to...But...but, he was worried also. A part of him just wanted to corner Yamaguchi and do as he wanted with her and show her who she really belonged to, the other part, the larger part was feeling slightly anxious. Yamaguchi had never continuously ignored him like this before, no matter how pissed she was. He wondered on whether or not he may have gone too far when he had cornered her in the classroom and gave her that "massage" three weeks prior. Ever since that incident she had been keeping him at a distance. That coupled with the "date" had left Shin wondering if she was putting distance between them because now she was taken. Shin's gaze darkened at the thought.

It'd be one thing if she were acting all nervous or angry or petulant or any of her usual emotions when she was mad, but instead she had been acting very apathetic, listless. Very un-Yankumi like for lack of a better word. It made him nervous. Though he had not known her for very long he still _knew_ her, and in all the time he had known her he had never seen her act like this before. She looked very preoccupied. Like something very important was on her mind, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure it out. Couldn't figure her out. He thought she would be ecstatic at the cop finally asking her out on a real date, but instead...instead she was acting as if someone had died. That _really_ confused him. He would have thought that she had turned him down or something of that nature if it wasn't for the fact that Shinohara still made sure to walk her to and from work.

He knew it was really none of his business. That he didn't really have a right to ask her anything, but he couldn't help but feel as though it were really his business. He wanted to know everything about Yamaguchi. If she wanted to teach until she retired. If she wanted to one day become a chairman so she could better help her precious students. If she wanted to have kids of her own. If she wanted to be married, and to whom. His thoughts stopped there. He already knew she wanted to be married, and to whom. His teeth gritted.

_That damn cop_, he thought venomously. He was the one she always fawned and swooned over like some love sick teenager. He refused to believe that the cop had been that oblivious to Yamaguchi's feelings. A blind idiot from Mars could tell that Yamaguchi was infatuated with the guy. _He doesn't deserve her_, he thought angrily. _But whether the cop deserved her or not_, he thought bitterly, _he has a better shot at her than I do_. And if their "study session" was anything to go by, he had finally wised up and decided to take a shot at Yamaguchi. HIS Yamaguchi.

It's not like he had planned on spying on Yamaguchi and _him_, his feet had just led him there even though he had had every intention of spending time with his friends so he could be distracted from the fact that the woman he wanted was going to be spending time with another male. No such luck.

After a few unfortunate incidents that caused him to walk out on his friends, he had walked, almost subconsciously, to the library where he knew Yamaguchi would be getting "studying tips" from that _kusotare_. After walking some more he had stumbled on her and _**him**_ by pure coincidence. He had underestimated the cop. He assumed that he was hesitating between the trio of women because he wasn't really interested in any of them, but now because of this new development, he knew it to be quite the opposite. It seemed to Shin that he was biding his time, probably trying to figure out a way to reveal his feelings without hurting the other women. _He's courteous like that_, Shin sneered.

Thinking back to how everything went down he could feel the depression beginning to cloud his mind once more. His life it seemed was going to hell. Uchi was still ignoring him. His other friends, while they still talked and hung around him, seemed uneasy in his presence. Most importantly, Yamaguchi seemed to be slipping through his fingers. When he had first left were Yamaguchi had been on her date, the depression and hurt was strong enough to drown in. He was in a daze for the next few days afterwards. It had actually taken him a week to get up enough courage to see her again at school.

What had cut him even more deeply though, was that even though he had absent from school for three weeks, she had never gone to his place to check up on him like she normally would have. In all honestly, even though he had been apprehensive about seeing Yamaguchi, he had still fully expected her to come banging on his door demanding to know why he had missed her class._ I guess she's too busy with her man to pay close attention to her students any more_, Shin thought with overwhelming bitterness. She hadn't even said anything, or even looked at him, when he finally came back to class late. Even the rest of 3-D had noticed the unusualness in her behavior.

Because she wasn't acting all lovey dovey like he expected her to after the cop's declaration, he had actually managed to convince himself that the situation wasn't as serious as he thought it was, but Yamaguchi's apathy was almost as bad.

Hell. He was most definitely in Hell and it was all that damn cop's fault. If he hadn't confessed to her, if he had never been there for Yamaguchi to crush on in the first damn place...Shin closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall behind him as he let another wave of depression wash over him. It was time that he got a grip. He couldn't keep doing this to himself. No one was worth the pain he was feeling. It was over.

He had lost to that cop like he always suspected he would. It wasn't all that bad. Maybe in time he'd get over it, over her. Shin shook his head with a sad smile. Who was he kidding? He'd never get over her. No matter how much time would pass she'd always be there right in the back of his mind waiting for a chance to resurface and remind him of his loss. Remembering all that occurred in the bar, Shin could only blink. It seemed that the best man really had won.

* * *

_He knew it was the day. The day Yankumi would finally be going out with that detective. It was all he could think about during class. He completely blanked on what Yamaguchi was saying his friends antics, everything. He watched her though. That he could still do. He watched as she went about writing down another math problem they both knew had no chance of being answered correctly by any of her students. It was sad really. She was so excited about her date tonight that she was energized. Though he didn't hear her words he could tell she was talking really fast. She kept dropping her chalk and she would often get this far off look in her eyes. Already thinkin' of her lover-cop, he mentally sneered._

_He kept thinking of what would happen on this "study session". How Yamaguchi would dress. If she'd even go so far as to attempt make up. Would she wear her hair down for him, as she had only, previously, done for her students when defending them? Knowing her and her obvious infatuation for the detective, she would, he thought bitterly. She would wear her down for the cop as she had never done for him._

_His mental entrapment had him so ensnared that he didn't notice that the bell had rung until he blinked and noticed that Yamaguchi was no longer standing there and his friends were looking at him expectantly._

_Softly clearing his throat, Shin got up, swung his leather case over his shoulder, and made for the door his friends quick to follow him._

"_Hey Shin," Kuma asked, "What were you thinking about so hard in there?"_

"_Yeah, you really zoned out," added Noda._

"_He's right. You usually pay close attention to whatever Yankumi says," Uchi said slyly._

_Shin stiffened. Did he know? Theirs no way he could know about his infatuation with Yankumi, but Uchi's eyes and that damnable smirk said otherwise. Shin turned a glare towards Uchi which only made Uchi's smirk widen. Shin wasn't sure how to react. He wasn't ready for everyone to know about his feelings for their home room teacher, and if Uchi knew it was only a matter of time before he told the others and then the others told everybody else. He would have to talk to him before they went their separate ways._

_Of course the others were too thick to grasp what was going on between the two friends._

_Kuma was the first to speak up. "What do you mean by that Uchi?"_

"_Yeah, why would Shin pay any attention to Yankumi?" Minami spoke up._

_Uchi put his arm around Minami and said, "That's a very good question Minami. Why **would** Shin pay attention to Yankumi?" giving a side glance to Shin._

_Shin balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. It was obvious by the way Uchi was talking that he did indeed know about his long time crush on Yamaguchi. For how long was a mystery, but the fact that Uchi knew and was taunting him with the information was enough to let Shin know that Uchi was overdue for an ass kicking. _

_Glaring at Uchi, with his look clearly saying, "We'll talk later," Shin answered their previous question._

"_The only reason I even look at Yankumi is because I got tired of her always nagging me for napping in her class. I've just perfected a look that makes it look like I'm paying attention, when I'm actually sleeping." Shin knew it was a lie. Hell, he knew it was a bad lie, but he also knew that his friends, Kami knows he loves them, were stupid enough to believe it. Well, all of them except one._

_And just like he expected, a chorus of "ooooo's" quickly followed his statement._

"_Wow Shin, you really are smart."_

"_That's so cool."_

"_Yeah, you're gonna have to teach me that."_

_He would've felt bad for lying to his friends if it wasn't for the fact that he knew if he were to really tell them why he was always constantly staring at Yamaguchi, the news of it would be all over the class the next day and then the school. He couldn't let that happen which was why he needed to speak to Uchi soon._

_Uchi was off to the side laughing up a storm, with the rest of their friends circling him asking him, "what was so funny?"_

_Yeah, he'd talk to him alright, right after that ass kicking, Shin grumbled mentally._

"_So Shin are you gonna come with us to Covent Garden?" Kuma asked hopefully._

"_Yeah Shin, come join the fun," Uchi taunted with his smirk ever present._

_Glaring once more at Uchi, Shin nodded his head in the affirmative._

_His friends giving a cheer, began to dance and sing their way over to the Covent Garden._

_Shin pulled Uchi back. You and me need to talk, now."_

_Smiling, Uchi pulled away from Shin's grip on his shirt. "Later," he said catching up to his friends and joining in the conviviality._

_Muttering to himself all the while, Shin grudgingly followed his friends._

* * *

_He wasn't quite sure how it happened, but three hours after he and his friends walked in they were surrounded by girls who actually knew what school they went to and still wanted to hang out with them._

_He shook his head in humor at the expressions on his friends' faces. They looked as though they had died and gone to heaven. Drinks, food, laughter, music, and girls all surrounded him, but he couldn't join in the festivities all because of his need to talk to Uchi and his worry over Yamaguchi's "study session". It was at times like this that he could feel himself becoming spiteful over Yamaguchi. He was young and a man. He should be the happiest guy on the planet right now and he couldn't be all because of her. No one else compared. All the girls couldn't compare to her. Some more beautiful, some more curvaceous, some probably smarter than her too. It didn't matter. It never mattered. None of them were Yamaguchi, so none of them were important._

_He looked over to Uchi, who was surprisingly apart from the festivities as well. He had a girl draped over him and a drink in his hand, but he was staring intently at Shin. It was a little unsettling._

_Uchi inclined his head signally that he was finally ready to talk. Shin got up following Uchi, more nervous than he thought he could be. Uchi being serious was not something he was used to. The girl tried to get up and follow him, but with a playful smile and some whispered words, she sat back down, pouting, but obedient._

_Uchi walked towards the hall that led to the bathrooms. After checking to make sure no one was near, he stopped by a potted plant and turned towards Shin, his face as serious as it ever got._

_They just stood there quietly staring at each other, the noise from the games and people fading into the background. Shin wasn't sure what to say. He knew their was no lie that Uchi would believe, but to tell the truth had disastrous consequences. Before he could decide on which action to take, Uch I finally spoke up._

"_Do you know what'll happen if the school finds out about this obsession of yours?"_

_That stopped Shin from any retort he might've had prepared. Of all the questions Uchi could've asked, that was the farthest from his mind. _

_He gathered himself mentally and started to answer, but was interrupted._

"_Have you lost your damn mind?" Uchi whispered furiously. _

_Shin could do more than stare. He'd never heard Uchi sound so angry before._

_Uchi continued, "Do you know how serious this is Shin? I see the way you look at her. This isn't some stupid crush, you are seriously obsessed. If the Kyoto finds out about this you know he'll turn the board members, and their will be hell to pay. He's always trying to find ways to get her fired or in trouble, and here you are giving him a great opportunity. Shit, not to mention what your father would do. You know everyone will twist it around so it makes it look like she's trying to have illegal relations with a student. If you care anything about her, then you'll knock this shit off and leave her alone. Or at least wait until you graduate. I can't believe how fucking stupid you're acting! We finally get a teacher who actually gives a shit about us, and you try to fuck it up with your selfishness."_

_Shin stood there silently taking it all in. He had been angry at first, but what Uchi was saying actually made a great deal of sense. He knew his father and he knew Kyoto, they really would try to use this information to screw them all. The depth of Uchi's answer made Shin realize how long this must've been bothering him and how long he must've known. _

_Shin felt compelled to reassure his friend, to let him know that it would be alright, until the indignant anger kicked back in. Who the hell was he to tell him all of this? Like he didn't know the tribulations of his crush. Like he didn't know how stupid he was acting. He knew all the consequences, and knew exactly how selfish he was being. He didn't need anyone to remind him of it. Uchi had no idea what he went through everyday being racked by these chaotic thoughts and the pain of her possibly being in the arms of another. He had no right. No right to judge him. To insult him. To question him. In a fit of rage spurned on by his own conflicting emotions and bitterness, he grabbed Uchi's collar with one hand and punched him with the other. Uchi stumbled to the floor._

_For a second Shin stood there. Staring at his fist before he went back to staring at Uchi. This would be the first time that he had ever been forced to strike a friend. He didn't like the feeling of his fist throbbing from the hit and he liked the smudge of blood on there even less. The sight of it churned his stomach. As he was getting ready to apologize, Uchi rose up, just as angry as Shin had been, and swung his fist out to connect with Shin's jaw._

_Any feelings of remorse that Shin was feeling left him just as quickly as Uchi's fist had struck him, to be replaced with the indignant rage he felt before. With an audible growl, Shin rushed Uchi just as Uchi braced himself. Down they went in a tangle of flaying limbs, striking fists, and harsh incoherent words. Shin let all his burning emotions, that had been plaguing him for the past few days, reign down on Uchi as the fight grew more intense._

_Some time during the fight a crowd had gathered to see what the commotion was about, only then to spurn them on. He could taste blood in his mouth. Feel his face pulse from the hits Uchi had landed. He smelled the acrid smell of the Coke sodas on Uchi's breath mingle with the smell of their combined sweat. Hear the anonymous strangers' shouts to urge him to continue pummeling his friend. And most importantly, he could see the mixture of outrage, anger, and pain on his best friend's face. If he looked hard enough, he could even see his reflection in his friend's eye. He didn't like what he saw. As he was about to get off of Uchi, he was suddenly airborne. He found himself in the grasp of, what appeared, to be a security guard._

_The large security guard shook Shin as though he was as light as a doll and then turned him so they were face to face. "If you two got beef then that's fine, but handle that shit off of our property." With that Shin found himself thrown out of the establishment. Shin laid flat on the concrete for a bit before picking himself up and walking in a random direction. Before Shin could walk, or more like limp in his case, more than three steps his friends, with Noda's arm around Uchi supporting him, looking away as though the only reason he was even there was because of the support, quickly bombarded him._

"_Shin, what the hell was that about?" Minami exclaimed._

"_Yeah, why'd you attack Uchi like that?" Kuma said looking confused and just a little melancholy._

"_I attacked him?" Shin sneered._

"_Hai. Uchi said you started it," Noda said while Uchi glared at nothing in particular._

"_I started it?" Shin said with disbelief. Sure, he had started the physical fight, but he did not __**start**__ it. Uchi started it when he had the audacity to judge me, Shin thought angrily. _

_Deciding he had had enough of his friends' presence, Shin just ignored their inquisitive looks and questions and continued to wander aimlessly down the street._

* * *

_Shin proceeded to walk down the streets ignoring the establishments he passed and the flirtations attempted by random women. He wasn't sure how, but by one way or another, he ended up at the library where Yamaguchi and that cop were supposed to be. _

_Shin stood right in front of the library, just staring up at it, lost in his thoughts._

_He knew their was no way they could still be in there. The library closed at 8pm and it was well past eleven. He wondered how their "study session" went._

_He hated the thought of her being alone with any other male other than himself, but it was worse when he knew it was one she had wanted to be alone with all along. He wasn't sure what to do. All the rhetorical questions weren't helping him any, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to think of anything else. He promised himself he'd stay away; and he had sincerely meant that too._

_It was the only reason he went out with his friends to that stupid pub, and look what ended up happening. He got told off by his friend, that was followed by a fight with his friend, only then to be kicked out of the pub. He was lucky they didn't ban him, but then again, what did he care? Not like he ever went there for his pleasure, only because his friends liked the place._

_Shin sighed again. It seemed to be the theme for the day. He needed to get out of his head, badly. He wasn't sure that taking a walk would clear his head or give him more of a chance to think, but he didn't really have a choice seeing as he didn't have a car. He started walking again aimlessly; head down and hands in his pockets. He had no idea where he was going and he didn't really care at the moment. Any direction would do. He was sure he had enough money to stay the night in motel if need be._

_Shin smiled to himself. He really was pathetic, wasn't he? Spending all this time and energy on a woman he had basically zero chance with; alienating himself from his friends. What made him even more pathetic though, was the fact that he realized all this and he still couldn't bring himself to stop. _

_Shin continued to pass by stores and restaurants, their effervescent lights casting off an enthusiastic glow, trying to draw his attention their way. He actually looked up to glance in the direction of a bar that managed to give a friendly atmosphere despite its rough looking exterior. He recognized it as the bar that Yamaguchi and her female colleagues often went to with the cops to hook up for some fun and flirtation. He grimaced and kept walking only to stop and do a double take. His breath stopped short._

_Yamaguchi and that_ _cop_ _were in there. Laughing. Talking. They looked like a couple having an evening out together. He couldn't stand it. Without a second thought he stormed in, his heart pounding, his intent unsure._

_He paused in the corridor, his eyes scanning for them. They sat in the back. Like their own little island away from everyone else, Shin thought bitterly. _

_As much as the thought of grabbing Yamaguchi and giving the cop a well deserved ass kicking sounded, he knew such a thing wouldn't happen as his mind would have him believe. Trying to relax the tension in his muscles, Shin walked over and sat himself close by their table making sure he hid himself behind a potted plant. After getting a waitress to serve him a cup of tea, he settled in to listen to their conversation. He ignored the moral dilemma of eavesdropping by telling himself that he was merely checking to make sure that the atmosphere between them was mutual._

_He gasped softly when he saw what she was wearing. Not even when she dressed up in Fujiyama-sensei's clothing did she look more beautiful then she did now. As Shin had guessed, she wore her hair down and she even had on light touches of make up, enough to enhance her beauty instead of hiding it. She wasn't wearing her glasses. In all honesty, he really could not understand why she wore them when she so obviously did not need them. She was wearing a spaghetti strapped, petal pink, v-neck silk dress that stopped just above her knees and matching inch high sandals. Shin didn't even know she owned something other than jeans and track suits. Her lips gleamed in the lights, her eyes looked entrancing, her silky hair invited caressing. All in all she looked..._

_Lovely, Shin thought. _

_Absolutely lovely._

_Shin tightened his fists and shook his head slightly. He needed to get a grip. He was supposed to be investigating. He could admire Yamaguchi's beauty later. Shin concentrated on hearing their conversation._

"_Yamaguchi-sensei, I had no idea you had such a strong interest in martial arts. You seem to know a lot about the shinobi from the past and fighting techniques," Tomoya said with a smile. Shin sneered. He had no idea how much knowledge Yamaguchi had on martial arts._

_Kumiko looked down with a blush and started to mumble, "I really don't know that much. It's more like a hobby; probably a strong influence from my all male family." Shin snorted._

"_You shouldn't be embarrassed about it Yamaguchi-sensei. I think it's a good thing for a woman to know how to defend herself. Especially in these times were you can't trust people like you use to." _

_Kumiko smiled. _

_Shin frowned._

"_Yamaguchi-sensei?" he waited until she looked up. "I want you know that I've always admired you."_

_Kumiko's eyes widened in surprise. _

_Shin's eyes widened in apprehension. Was he going to confess? Shin wasn't prepared for that. If either of the two were going to confess their feelings he expected it to be Yamaguchi. _

_Tomoya smiled lightly at her surprise. "It's true. I've always the way you stand up for people. You're always looking out for others and you have a strong sense of justice. The way you were able to reach out to your students when everyone, including themselves, had given up on them... It's very admirable."_

_Kumiko looked down and blushed again. "Arigato Shinohara-san, but what I do really isn't all that impressive...Anyone could do what I do...You give me too much credit."_

_Tomoya smiled some more. "Their's something else I like about you. Your modesty. I think you give yourself too little credit. It wasn't only that you reached your students and made them believe in themselves. The other teachers who initially wrote them off began to believe in them too. Even with all the adversity you faced you never once gave up. That's something to be proud about it...Kumiko," he murmured the last bit._

_Shin grudgingly agreed with the cop. Yamaguchi was a very admirable person and she never gave herself enough credit. Her modesty was pretty cu...did he just call her Kumiko?_

_Shin turned his attention towards their table. He could see the surprise on Yamaguchi's face and the determination on Shinoharas'._

_He did. That son of a bitch called her by her first name! Shin was panicking now. He was furious too, but more than that he was worried. He could see it on the kusotare's face. He was going to confess._

"_Kumiko," Tomoya started giving direct eye contact. "I was never very sure how to go about this, but for the longest I have felt this need to be around you. Even if it's just to listen you go over better ways to teach your class, I have felt this need to be in your presence. I find myself always thinking about you... You're constantly on the forefront of my mind... Just thinking about you is enough to bring a smile to my face... There are so many things I like admire about you...that I like about you."_

_Shin felt like he was experiencing a car crash. He could see what was happening, but he was unable to keep it from occurring, and just like a car crash, he knew at the end of it he would end up hurt._

_Tomoya leaned forward to grasp Kumiko's hands, that had been previously in her lap and out of view, and continued, "Kumiko, despite what you may think, I've always cared deeply for you."_

_Kumiko blinked rapidly. "But what about Fujiyama-sensei and Nakashima- sen-," she was cut off._

"_I care for them too, but only as friends. I don't care for them the way I care for you." Tomoya took a deep breath as if preparing himself. "Kumiko, would you be my girlfriend?"_

_He didn't wait to hear her answer. Shin stood up abruptly, threw some cash on the table, and left. He could feel his breath leaving him in shaky gasps. His vision was blurred. He didn't recognize any of his surroundings. His pulse was pounding and his blood was roaring loud enough through his veins that he was deaf to everything. His stomach was in knots. He felt unstable. Shin leaned against a building and threw up and when there was nothing, left he began to dry heave. _

_And just like that, he knew he'd lost._

* * *

End Chapter 4: _Anxious (Part One)_

* * *

And I'm done... for now. So yeah, what Part 2 is gon be about is Yankumi's point of view on how shit went down. The update for that will take a month tops. I know what I'm gonna write, for the most part, so it shouldn't take me that long. I won't be bullshittin it like I usually do. The only reason it'll even take that long is cuz I'm factoring in my laziness, so that'll slow productions. So yeah, my standard ending. I apologize for any mistakes I know are on there. I apologize this time for the over use of the word "yeah" in this chapter. I noticed I did that, but I didn't feel like changing it so... yeah. R&R

Until next time. Later -Obsidian Tigress

**Glossary:**

chikushou_ - son of a bitch_

kusotare - _bastard_


	5. Chapter 4: Anxious: Part Two

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor will I ever own Gokusen or its characters.

Author's Note: Yeah, I'm not gonna bother with some b.s. excuse as to why I didn't have this done in the month I promised to. I'm just gonna be absolutely honest and say that I have totally and completely lost my passion to write this story. My muse has abandoned me and is urging me to give up on this story and write the other one I've been thinking about. Now before anyone gets ready to curse me out or pop a blood vessel, know that I am NOT, repeat AM NOT discontinuing this story. I'll finish it if it takes me 10 more years to do it. (Thats an exaggeration, it won't take me that long.) I just thought ya'll should know. And its not because of the lack of reviews. I'm just gettin kind of tired of Gokusen is all. Not obsessed over it like I used to be.

* * *

**Title:** _Clash of the Tigers_

**Rated: **M (language, sexual content, violence)

**Pairings: **Shin/Kumi

* * *

_What the hammer? What the chain?_

_In what furnace was thy brain?_

_What the anvil? What dread grasp?_

_Dare its deadly terrors clasp?_

_-William Blake_

* * *

**Chapter 4: **_Anxious (Part two)_

She was ignoring him.

She knew she was, but she couldn't help it.

She was trying to be sneaky about it, but some how she knew she failed. Shin wasn't an idiot. HE noticed everything it seemed, especially when it came to her. She refused to meet his gaze, picked up her pace if they happened to be walking in the same direction. Rushed into classrooms if he was anywhere near her in a hallway. She'd even sprint out of the classroom as soon her lesson was over so she wouldn't have to worry about a continuation of what happened last time. She even refused to let him answer any of her math questions. She'd just answer the question and move on when it became apparent that no one **else** had an answer other than Sawada. She refused to feel guilty about that though. She couldn't let him answer the questions all the time, she reasoned. But she knew, what really must've pissed him off was when she no longer came up to the rooftop. He'd always give her the fiercest scowls when he came down from the roof and back into the classroom.

It had been three weeks.

Three tiresome weeks.

Three weeks since she had let him speak to her in private. Three weeks since she had let him so much as brush against her hand. Three weeks since he had... kissed her, she blushed profusely at the thought. Three weeks since he had made a move on her and ruined their teacher-student relationship and made it impossible to go back to the way they were.

She felt at her wits end. She didn't know how much longer she could continue doing this. She loved all her precious students and it had never once occurred to her that any of her students would love her back...in that way at least. She knew how Shin felt about her so she knew that the sight of her and Shinohara-san together must have bothered him greatly.

She supposed she wasn't making it any easier on him either by pretty much shutting him out of her life. She could only imagine Shin's rage when he found out that she no longer accepted him as a guest at her home. She felt bad for having Minoru and Tetsu lie for her to Sawada. Truly she did... but she also felt it to be necessary. Mou! But the guilt she felt for turning him away. She knew he loved coming over to her place to relax, even if he would never admit it out loud. Not just because she was there, but because she knew he felt as if he could truly be himself without fear of having his reputation damaged. He thought her to be oblivious and naive, but she noticed these things too. Perhaps on a deeper subconscious level, she even knew of Sawada's feeling for her and just couldn't deal with it, so she suppressed the knowledge and pretended nothing was there._ A whole lot of good that did me_, she snorted.

She wasn't actually sure why she was studiously ignoring Sawada. She guessed that she just needed time to sort out her feelings. She hated that she needed time to do anything other than kick his ass for daring to feel up his teacher! _Massage my ass,_ she thought vehemently. Like he cared if she was tense or not. He was just using that as an excuse to get close to her. _Dirty bastard_, she thought lacking her usual heat. Her fingers lightly touched her neck, a blush staining her features. Remembering the way he touched her before was enough to have her skin feeling hot and tingly.

Mahhhhhh! She snapped out of her musings quickly. _I can't believe I just thought about my student in a sexual way! _Her mind screamed. It was enough to have her bang her head against her desk. Now was not the time to be thinking of this. Any of this, but her mind could not seem to focus on anything else. Her mind had become so preoccupied and consumed with all her worrisome thoughts that she seemed to forget that their was a world outside of her head and her thoughts.

She had originally been worried and anxious, when Sawada hadn't shown up for school for a week. Suspiciously, after her date with Shinohara. That little suspicion had bothered her for awhile. Had he seen her and Shinohara together when they went on their date? Had he heard Shinohara confess to her? She couldn't think of another reason for why he would miss school the day after she and Shinohara-san went out. He couldn't have known they were a... couple since he didn't show up for school and see Shinohara walk her to work.

Several times she thought about going to his apartment and questioning why he would dare miss even one minute of her precious class, but every time she got close to his home, she turned around and decided to mind her own business for once. She couldn't face him. She didn't want to see the betrayal and, what she was sure would be, hurt on his face. And after everything that happened she felt as though she needed more time to herself. To figure things out. Three weeks later and she still didn't have a damn clue.

She was so focused on her inner musings that she didn't realize that she had been acting far different than from how she usually acted. She never even noticed when the teachers talked to her or about her. All of their insults or comments just flew over her head or in one ear and out the other. Her thoughts focused on only one person for the past three weeks...Sawada. No matter how much she tried he would not leave her brain. Even she was confused by all her thinking. Anyone would have thought she'd be walking on cloud nine, so to speak. Shinohara-san finally asking her out. Finally admitting to having feelings for her. She thought she would have been ecstatic, screaming and squealing like a teenager finally getting her lifelong crush to be with her. Instead... instead all she could do was stare. Neither happy nor unhappy. Neither excited or depressed. Just... indifferent. Apathetic to the whole situation.

She knew Shinohara-san must've been confused towards the whole matter. Clearly expecting a different reaction from her, but she couldn't help it. She felt as though something was wrong with her, but she'd be damned if she could figure out what it was. Shinohara-san, or Tomoya as he liked her to call him now, still made sure to walk her to and from work everyday he was able to do so. He always had lunch with her, and if it wasn't for her fervent protests and refusals, he would try to walk her home and stay for dinner. _If it were Sawada, I wouldn't have to hide anything_, her mind grossed. It took her only four seconds to realize what she just thought and go into another wave of intense denials and protests.

When she settled down again her thoughts centered back onto their favorite enigma. Shin. She wondered what he was doing. How he was handling all this new separation from her. Mostly she wondered what, exactly, he expected from her. Did he honestly think that she would so readily return his feelings? That she would be happy that he felt this way about her? Or that they would elope and run away and live happily ever after? Even if she did love him, which she absolutely did not, _that would be wrong_, she affirmed, it would be a fruitless love. Their fictional love would be like Gennosuke's and Oboro's. No one would understand it, no one would like it, and no one would accept it. She sighed. She just didn't get him.

She was no longer confident in her approach to him either. Use to be that she could go up to him, sling an arm over his shoulders, or even freely touch his face, and not have to worry or even consider their being something wrong with the action. But now...now? She was afraid to even look at him lest he see something behind her actions that wasn't there. She wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Wondered if she should even continue to work at Shirokin. If the staff and students found out about Sawada's infatuation of her, it would not be pretty. She could see it now. All over the evening news, Teacher Leads Youth Astray With Scandalous Affair. She'd never get a job as a teacher again. All her students would hate her. Her family wouldn't be able to help her due to their gang affiliation. She'd never be able to show her face in Japan again! Maybe she was overreacting a little. That was the worse case scenario. Best case scenario was that she'd get an opportunity to talk to Sawada, nip this little infatuation in the bud, and they'd be able to continue on like nothing ever happened. Yamaguchi began to nod her head. _Hai, that would be best, she thought_. She stopped, frowned. She knew that would be best. That them going back to a safe and neutral teacher-student relationship was the right thing to do...but...even knowing that, she still felt a weight on her heart.

Even if her and Shin could go back to the way they were, what would that mean for her and Shinohara-san? For years, she felt like she was chasing an unattainable dream. She thought that she wanted it with her entire being, but now that she had finally realized that dream, now that she finally had Shinohara-san, she wasn't sure if that was what she really wanted. If he was who she really wanted. She always believed in love at first sight, and the minute she met Shinohara-san she knew, she thought, she wanted to spend the rest of her life together with him. Now she wasn't so sure. She thought back to when she first met Sawada. When she first met him, she experienced a jolt and she knew that he was going to be the one that would help shape her new world, but love? She didn't think that was what the jolt originally signified. Two months ago she would've been positive that their were no subconscious feelings and that she knew she wanted to be with Shinohara-san more than anything, and anyone, else. But now, with all these new developments she wasn't sure.

She really was surprised though. She didn't think Shinohara actually felt anything for her accept platonic brotherly affection. Between Fujiyama-sensei's looks and Nakashima-sensei's assertiveness she always fell into the background. The only reason she even continued to cling to him was because of her strong sense of romance. He was the first guy to reach out and help her, thus she fell in love. She had to admit that competing for his love also helped to make things more fun on her part. Plus, the Romeo and Juliet aspect of their relationship made things all the more titillating, but the more she thought about it the more she wondered if she actually was in love with Shinohara-san or was it just the excitement of being with him that attracted her so much?

She sighed for the umpteenth time that day. All these thoughts weren't helping. If anything, they were making her more confused and more depressed.

Shin Sawada and Tomoya Shinohara. Shinohara-san. Sawada-kun. She was surrounded by S's. _Attack of the over affectionate Shin's_, she smiled sardonically.

She felt as though being with either of the Shin's would hurt her in some way, and she knew deep inside her that things wouldn't remain the same. Something was going to happen that would change how things were. Whether it would be from her doing or Shin's she wasn't sure, but she knew that things would change, and soon. Thinking back on what happened the other day, she couldn't help but remember the quote her jii-chan once told her. _All change isn't necessarily for the better._

* * *

_Today was her big day. Her date with Shinohara-san. _

_No. Not a date, she thought, a study session. She couldn't help, but feel nervous. This was her dream coming true. Alone with Shinohara-san. No interference. No Nakashima-sensei or Fujiyama-sensei to still his attention away. No desperate attempts of attention from Kashiwagi. Just her and him. Alone. Together. She no longer felt the same giddiness she had felt when she had originally set the date. She knew why. It was that damn Sawada's fault. He stole her happiness. She'd been waiting for months to get this chance and she finally had it and she couldn't work up more than a casual interest for it._

_No. She stopped herself, I will not let him take this from me. This is my dream and I will experience it to the fullest. She nodded her head in affirmation. Putting her hand out, she prepared herself. "Fight-o...O!"_

_Nakashima-sensei and Fujiyama-sensei had wanted to come over her house to help her choose a final outfit and it wasn't until she lied about having some giant dog that was overly "friendly" around strangers that they finally backed off, and settled with her calling and telling them what she wore. She shook her head in exasperation; they're like having two mother-in-laws._

_She decided against calling them. She wasn't a child. She could manage on her own. Even if she didn't have the same innate sense of fashion as they did, that didn't mean that she had a bad sense of fashion. She had decided to wear something that wouldn't be considered date clothes or overly flirtatious, but she still wanted to feel pretty. And to be honest, she was getting a little tired of wearing jerseys and sweats all the time._

_After much debate and strewn clothes, she finally decided to wear the petal pink dress silk dress that Fujiyama had bought for her. She had really been surprised when Fujiyama had shown it to her. She didn't even know she knew how to buy something for anyone other than herself. Her surprise clearly showed on her face if the scowl was anything to go by on Fujiyama's. Just because I got a little carried away with buying things for myself didn't mean I completely forgot my objective, Fujiyama had said looking indignant. Kumiko smiled at the thought._

_The dress fell right above her knees and gave her curves without clinging to her. She fingered the straps wondering if she was over dressed. It was just a study session, not a date. But she really liked the way the dress looked on her. She felt all soft and girly. She decided to throw on a light jacket so she wouldn't feel so bare. Their, she nodded her head in approval, now I don't look so foolish. She put on light touches of make up, like Nakashima-sensei had taught her and took one last look in the mirror. She wondered what Shin would say if he could see how she looked. Knowing him, he'd probably make some comment on how women her age just looked sad when they tried to dress up. Or maybe... he'd take her into his arms, comment on how beautiful she looked and he'd give her one of those soul searing kisses again. She blushed at the thought. Then she remembered who she was thinking about and went into wave of hysterics, hands covering her ears and screaming on how she was going to hell._

_It wasn't until Tetsu knocked on her door, asking if she was alright, did she finally calm down. "Fine," she said. "I'm fine."_

"_Are you sure, Ojou?"_

"_Hai. Hai. Hai," she said a little too enthusiastically._

"_Well if you're sure," he said warily as he began to walk away._

_Kumiko took some time to do some deep breathing exercises before she fixed her hair and righted her dress. It was an accident, she grossed, I didn't think of my student in an inappropriate manner. I just meant to say Shinohara. That's right, she smacked her fist into her palm, I must've just abbreviated Shinohara and said Shin instead. Yep, that's what it is. That's what it has to be 'cause I would never think of one of my precious students in that way. Nope, never. Nodding her head resolutely, she grabbed her bag full of the supplies she'd need and decided she was ready to go._

_On her way out the door, she got stunned looks all around from her cronies. She didn't know whether to be happy or offended that they looked so shocked to see her dressed this way. Before she could decide how offended she should be, her ojii-chan came towards her, inspecting._

"_Going somewhere Kumiko?" he asked curiously._

"_Hai. I've got a study session with Shinohara-san. He's going to help me create new strategies to better teach my students." In the background you could here the sounds of someone falling, followed by the exclamations of, "Tetsu! Are you alright?" and "Aniki! Speak to me!"_

"_Ahh. That seems like a good idea Kumiko, ehhh... but aren't you a little dressed up for a simple study session?"_

_Kumiko looked down at what she was wearing self consciously. "Do you really think so? I thought I looked nice," she said softly._

_Kuroda and the present members of the Ooedo Clan, who were conscious, quickly rushed to assure her that she looked fine._

"_Never mind what I said Kumiko, you look beautiful," Kuroda quickly stated._

"_Yes, Ojou. You look gorgeous."_

"_Absolutely stunning!"_

"_Better than Reon Kadena-san ever could look."_

_Kumiko brightened at that. Kadena-san was a famous Japanese model and actress. She was also very pretty. "Arigato Wakamatsu-kun." _

_Wakamatsu preened a little from being able to make his Ojou happy. "I only speak the truth Ojou."_

_She gave him another wide smile before announcing her leave and waving a good bye to everyone. On her way to the library, she wondered about what could've made Tetsu faint like._

* * *

_She had no problem finding Shinohara-san in the Tokyo Library, despite the location he chose and the surprising amount of students that were there. She sighed. Why can't my students be like them?_

_Tomoya had chosen one of the secluded rooms offered for study groups. She wasn't sure what to think about him choosing such a private spot, so she ignored it. _

_She greeted him upon entering. "Ohisashiburi desu Shinohara-san!"_

_He stood and gently clasped her hand before letting go. He smiled in greeting. "Yamaguchi-san. It hasn't been that long since we last met."_

"_Hmm? We haven't seen each other since we made plans to meet here. I thought that maybe you'd forget about it."_

_He shook his head, smiling gently. "I could never forget anything that had to do with you...Yamaguchi-san."_

_She smiled a bit nervously. What was that about?_

_Shaking away her thoughts, she decided it was time to get down to business. "Okay Shinohara-san, let's get started."_

* * *

_Three hours later and Yamaguchi felt like she'd go cross eyed if she had to read one more of her students badly written, and mostly incorrect kanji. Honestly, she thought, how old were they? They're writing was comparable to that of ten year old. She frowned in irritation._

"_What is making you frown so, Yamaguchi-san?" Tomoya inquired._

"_Huh? Oh! Nothing...heh heh heh. I was just thinking about how pitiful my students hand writing is."_

"_Hmm. It's not that bad. At least it's still legible."_

"_Mmm. That's true, but still! At their age they should be able to produce better kanji than that. When they apply for a job or college, the first thing they're going to notice is their writing and then they won't want anything to do with a man who can't even create a better written resume than what they have here," she finished vehemently. Noticing the look Shinohara was giving her, she quickly sat down, straightened her papers, and cleared her throat. "So... what do you think?"_

_Shinohara gave an abrupt bark of laughter. "That's what I like about you sensei, you always sound like you're giving your all when you talk. No matter what it's about you always sound so passionate." _

_Not knowing what to say to that, Yamaguchi just decided to give one of her nervous air head laughs. "Well I don't know about you, but I need to give my eyes a break from reading all this inadequate work."_

_He smiled. "I suppose a break is in order. We've been discussing and reading for over three hours now."_

_Yamaguchi did a double take. "Ehhhh? Has it really been that long?" Searching around, her eyes finally stopped and widened once she found the clock. "Wow. Time passes when you're having fun, huh?" she said, her arm rubbing the back of her head._

_He murmured, "I seem to always have fun when you're around, Yamaguchi-sensei."_

_Yamaguchi didn't know what to make of this. He had been making side comments like that the entire they'd been out. It was making her nervous and more than a little uncomfortable. She was becoming more and more confused with Shinohara's behavior. He never acted this way. Not even when Fujiyama-sensei and Nakashima-sensei were present. Maybe he had a fever? Not particularly paying attention to what she was doing, being in full concerned over-protective mode, she walked over to him and placed her forehead against his. Tomoya sat there in shocked silence._

"_Hmmm...It doesn't feel like you have fever," she said a little confusedly._

_Recovering from his shock and trying to ignore the warm sensation he felt from having Yamaguchi placed so close against him, he questioned, "Why would I have a fever?"_

"_Well you've been acting kind of weird lately so I thought..." Yamaguchi trailed off as what she just did fully realized itself in her mind. Ahhhhh! I can't believe I just placed my face so close to Shinohara-san's face! Kumiko turned her back towards Tomoya, clutching her hands to her face. What would Shin say if he saw what happened? He'd probably be really mad at me. He's very possessive... Her hysterics began anew as her thoughts, once again, betrayed her. I do __**not**__ care what he thinks! How would I know if he's possessive or not? And it has nothing to do with me even if he is! While Kumiko was busy trying to convince herself that she didn't feel anything for her student, Tomoya got up and walked over to her to see what had her acting so strangely._

"_Ano... Yamaguchi-sensei? Are you alright?"_

_Yanked out her hysterics too early, all Yamaguchi could do was reply with an intelligent, "Ehhhhh?"_

_Noticing the weird look Shinohara was giving her, she abruptly pulled herself together. With a blush staining her face, she answered a little more civilly this time. "I'm fine Shinohara-san. I was just a little embarrassed from earlier." Bowing slightly, she continued, "Gomen nasai. I really had no right to invade your personal space like that. I wasn't thinking."_

_Waving his hand nervously, he assured her, "Ne ne ne. It's alright Yamaguchi-san. I didn't mind. It felt nice having someone worry about me like that. Even for something insignificant."_

_Her blush seemed to battle his for supremacy, as they stared at everything but each other. "Uh... so..."_

_Tomoya seemed to snap out of it first. "Yamaguchi-sensei, I think we accomplished a lot here today, don't you agree?"_

"_Ehh? Oh! H-hai! Yes, I believe the strategies you gave me will prove to be useful for my students."_

"_That's good. That's very good... Yamaguchi-sensei, would you like to-" he was cut off as an announcement went through the intercom._

"_The Tokyo Library will be closing in five minutes. Please gather your things and prepare to leave the building... The Tokyo Library will be closing in five minutes. Please gather your things and prepare to leave the building."_

"_Oh. It looks like the library is closing. Guess we should get going," Yamaguchi said as she began to gather her papers, notes, and books. Shinohara's hand stopped her. "Yamaguchi-sensei, would you like to go get something to eat?"_

"_I... eh... huh?"_

_Tomoya smiled. "Well we've been here for over three hours and I assume you didn't eat before you came here, did you?"_

_As if on cue, her stomach growled. "Eh heh heh heh. Well I am a little hungry...ok. Where do you want to go?"_

"_I already have a place in mind."_

* * *

_Twenty minutes later, found them sitting in their usual bar where her and her colleagues' usually met up with Shinohara and his colleague. She smiled, I should've known. _

_They were seated in a back booth up against the wall. Their sake cups full, their orders already taken; the two sat their quietly breathing in the warm atmosphere. Kumiko noticed that they were only one of four other couples that were there. Otherwise, the usually lively bar was deserted and quiet, taking on an intimate ambiance. Kumiko felt immediately uncomfortable._

_As if noticing her stiffness, Shinohara said, "This place has a different feel late at night, huh?"_

_Yamaguchi smiled relieved that it wasn't just her seeing more into it than their was. "Hai. It almost feels like we're somewhere else."_

"_I've noticed that too. It becomes a couple's bar late at night. It's why Kashiwagi and I stopped coming here after work. It became a little weird when it was obvious that we were the only non couple there; didn't want anybody to get any ideas."_

_He and Kumiko shared a laugh, her hoping he didn't here the strain in it. A couple's bar? Why would he take her to a couples bar when they weren't a couple? Unless... Kumiko felt a soft gasp leave her. Was he planning on making a move on her? Were all the uncharacteristic things he was saying his way of dropping hints that he was interested in her? She heard someone enter the bar and plop down in seat not too far from them, but she could pay no attention to anyone except for the man in front of her. She felt slow. No wonder everyone was always calling her naive. The more she thought of how Shinohara acted the more obvious everything became to her. How could she not notice this? Was she really that blind when it came to matters of romance? During her downward spiral of self deprecation, she noticed that Shinohara had been speaking. Shaking herself from her musings, she tuned in on what he had been saying._

"_... said the new Yuji Shimomura film was great." _

"_Ano...Gomen nasai. I kind of got lost in my own thoughts, what did you say?"_

_Frowning slightly, Shinohara repeated, "I said that Kashiwagi-san said that the new Yuji Shimomura film was great."_

_Yamaguchi finally started to feel comfortable again. She was on familiar territory talking about the famous stunt and fight choreographer, Yuji Shimomura. "Hai! You're talking about Aragami, ne? I haven't seen it yet, but I'm sure it'll be great. You're pretty much guaranteed great fighting scenes when Shimomura-san is choreographing."_

"_I didn't realize you were such an enthusiast. Maybe, we can see it together sometime?"_

"_Hai! I'd love to see that movie. I saw his last movie, Versus, it was so good. The sword play and the bujutsu style. I think he really captured the old kendo style of martial arts in his movie and the old ways of ninjitsu. He captured their passion for fighting and the seriousness of battle. The man really is a genius," Yamaguchi breathlessly finished, her voice filled with awe._

_Shinohara grinned from hearing the passion in her voice. "Yamaguchi-sensei, I had no idea you had such a strong interest in martial arts. You seem to know a lot about the shinobi from the past and fighting techniques." _

_Kumiko looked down with a blush. She knew better than to show so much love for martial arts. She didn't need anyone getting suspicious about her and her knowledge of fighting techniques. Especially a cop. It was bad enough that Shin knew about her. She could only sigh this time at realizing were her thoughts turned to. Fidgeting, she started to mumble, "I really don't know that much. It's more like a hobby. Probably a strong influence from my all male family."_

"_You shouldn't be embarrassed about it Yamaguchi-sensei. I think it's a good thing for a woman to know how to defend herself. Especially in these times were you can't trust people like you use to." _

_Yamaguchi smiled._

"_Yamaguchi-sensei?" he waited until she looked up. "I want you to know that I've always admired you."_

_Kumiko's eyes widened in surprise. What was happening now?_

_Tomoya smiled lightly at her surprise. "It's true. I've always admired the way you stand up for people. You're always looking out for others and you have a strong sense of justice. The way you were able to reach out to your students when everyone, including themselves, had given up on them... It's very admirable."_

_Kumiko looked down and blushed again. No one had ever complimented her the way he did. "Arigato Shinohara-san, but what I do really isn't all that impressive...Anyone could do what I do...You give me too much credit."_

_Tomoya smiled some more. "Theirs something else I like about you, your modesty. I think you give yourself too little credit. It wasn't only that you reached your students and made them believe in themselves. The other teachers who initially wrote them off began to believe in them too. Even with all the adversity you faced you never once gave up. That's something to be proud about...Kumiko," he murmured the last bit._

_Yamaguchi felt her eyes almost pop out of her head. He had just called her by her first name! No honorific or anything. The only person that ever called her by her first name was her jii-san. She wasn't sure how she felt about him calling her that, but she did know that she felt so nervous that she was bordering on nausea. _

"_Kumiko," Tomoya started, giving her direct eye contact. "I was never very sure how to go about this, but for the longest time I have felt this need to be around you. Even if it's just to listen to you go over better ways to teach your class, I have felt this need to be in your presence. I find myself always thinking about you... You're constantly on the forefront of my mind... Just thinking about you is enough to bring a smile to my face... There are so many things I admire about you...that I like about you."_

_Kumiko tried to keep a brave front, but she could feel her hands shaking beneath the table. They were cold and clammy. She wanted him to stop. To quit speaking right now, she wasn't ready for this, wasn't prepared, but no words left her mouth and all she could do was stare._

_Tomoya leaned forward to grasp Kumiko's hands, that were still slightly damp with the sweat from her nervousness and continued, "Kumiko, despite what you may think, I've always cared deeply for you."_

_Kumiko blinked rapidly. "But what about Fujiyama-sensei and Nakashima- sen-," she was cut off._

"_I care for them too, but only as friends. I don't care for them the way I care for you." Tomoya took a deep breath as if preparing himself. "Kumiko, would you be my girlfriend?"_

_Faintly, Kumiko heard the sound of someone abruptly leaving, but mostly she heard her blood roaring through her ears. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to feel. All her dreams of marrying Shinohara-san had disappeared days ago. Her so called "love" dampened to a sisterly fondness. He was saying all the right things. All the things she dreamt of hearing him say one day. He chose her over her more beautified colleagues. He actually admired her for her rambunctious ways. Admired her for her knowledge of martial arts. Didn't try to change her or ask her to be more "feminine." He accepted her. Completely. She didn't understand. She didn't understand why she wasn't jumping for joy. Crying out of happiness. This should've been the happiest day of her life; right next to becoming a teacher. But something was keeping her from experiencing the joy she should have been reveling in. She didn't know. Or maybe...she didn't want to know._

_She had been silent too long. She could see the tension in Tomoya's face. "Shinohara-san..."_

"_Call me Tomoya."_

_She gulped. She decided it was time for truth. "Tomoya, I've always cared a lot for you too. I've been dreaming of this day ever since I met you, and now that it's happened, I don't know what to say." But she did. She did know what she wanted to say. She just couldn't bring herself to do it._

"_Say yes, Kumiko. Say that you'll be with me," he almost pleaded, looking earnestly at her._

_Knowing what she should say, because saying otherwise would only wind up hurting him, she took a deep breath to tell him no, that she was sorry, but she couldn't be with him while she was still so confused about what she really wanted. But that's not what came out. She couldn't hurt him like that why he held that hopeful look in his eyes. "Yes, Shinohara. I'll be with you."_

_Before she could blink, she was in his arms. Him promising things that every woman dreamt for her man to say, fell on deaf ears. While she was wrapped in his arms feeling his warmth, and yet being apart from it, she couldn't help but think herself a fool. She'd made the wrong choice._

* * *

End Chapter 4:_ Anxious (Part Two) _

* * *

Freakin' A! I'm finally done! This shit was a whole lot harder to write than I anticipated. But hallelujah it's finished. I feel I was a little repetitive in the beginning about Yankumi's feelings so for that I'll apologize. I felt like I also had some key points on what I was trying to describe tho, so thats why I didn't take it out. **NOW**. I'm gonna clear up some misconceptions about what was goin down last chapter with Shin. The thing about Shin and his whole teen angst feelings is that he's feeling a whole new level of love that he's never experienced before. He's seeing what he knows to be the love of his life taken away from him in front of his very eyes. He feels helpless. He feels anxious, and him being the total control freak that he is, is freaking out cuz things are no longer in his control. All that combined made him a nervous wreck. He was not suicidal, nor was he acting like some obsessive freak. It's just his love being stabbed to death. I **know** some of ya'll have been there so don't act like you don't know what I'm talkin bout. So that's it. **REVIEW!**

Until next time. Later -Obsidian Tigress


	6. Chapter 5: Tension

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor will I ever own Gokusen or its characters.

Recap: Shin is having kinky dreams about Yankumi and ends up making his interest known when he finds out that Yankumi is going on a study date with Shinohara. Tension between the two steadily rises as Yankumi is unsure of what to do because a student teacher relationship is so taboo, and she can no longer act like she doesn't feel something for Shin, even when still in denial. Shin and Uchi get into a fight after Uchi makes some assumptions about Shin's feelings toward Yankumi. Shin looses his shit when he sees Yankumi and Shinohara on their date and hears Shinohara confess his feelings to Yankumi. More tension rises. Yankumi feels increasingly confused with her feelings for Shin and her lack of feelings for Shinohara. More tension.

* * *

**Title:** _Clash of the Tigers_

**Rated: **M (language, sexual content, violence)

**Pairings: **Shin/Kumi

* * *

_When the stars threw down their spears,_

_And water'd heaven with their tears,_

_Did he smile his work to see?_

_Did he who made the Lamb make thee?_

_-William Blake_

* * *

**Chapter 5: **_Tension_

Class 3-D was unusually quiet. The silence seemed strained, filled with tension and unspoken thoughts. Her students were faced forward, quiet, and actually doing the problems she had written on the board, or at least pretending to. The point was, they were acting like well behaved students. It disturbed her greatly.

Since she started working at Shiroken, every moment had been pure chaos. It had never been this quiet. As soon as she entered the classroom, she knew their was something wrong. As per usual, as of late, she entered the room with trepidation. Sawada. She still didn't know how to deal with him, but she knew she had to do something to fix their fractured relationship. It had been a little over a month now since she started going out with Shinohara-san and, her and Shin just seemed to drift further apart.

She was getting tired of all this tension between them. She was getting tired of hiding from him. She was just plain tired. She didn't know what to do, but, dammit, she couldn't do _this_ anymore... and, if she had to be honest... she missed him. She missed talking to him, she missed having him at her home, and she just missed being in his presence that always calmed her.

It seemed that the tension between the two of them also started to rub off on others. Between Shin and his friends, and between her and her colleagues, everyone was becoming a tense, irritable, morose mess. She even heard the usually timid and even tempered Ando-sensei snapping at Kyoto earlier. _This is just great,_ she thought dejectedly,_ now my problems are beginning to affect the entire school._

She always wanted quiet well behaved students, and now that she had them, she hated it. _Careful what you wish for_, she thought. She wanted the chaos that normally ensued in her class. Her kids were tense and refused to look at one another. She didn't know if it truly was the tension between her and Sawada that affected them, or if it was something else. If it was something else...and she had to guess... she'd say it had something to do with Uchi and Sawada. The tension between those two was thick enough to choke on. She couldn't imagine what could've happened to them to have it so they were no longer speaking to each other.

She didn't know how much longer she could take all this quiet. The ticking of the clock was grating on what sanity she had left. The silence in the room amplified everything. The scratch of pencils on paper, the rustle of clothes, the damn ticking of that damn clock... it was all so loud. She swore she could even hear them blinking. Any more of this and she swore she'd go ape shit.

She obviously wasn't the only who felt that way, for as soon as she felt the last bits of her sanity crumbling away, and prepared herself to do Kami knew what, Shin kicked his desk away from him and rose up, heading for the door. The sudden noise caused more than Yamaguchi to give a startled jump.

Because of the awkwardness that was still between them, she normally would've just let him leave without doing anything to stop him, but she had resolved to fix the tension between them, and even though she was slightly apprehensive to speak with him, she had already promised herself.

"Hey! Sawada! Where the hell do you think you're going? I'm still teaching a class here, in case you hadn't noticed," she was proud to hear her voice only crack once during her rant.

Her addressing Shin, and sounding like herself, for the first time in a month, seemed to pierce the room. She could almost hear the collective sigh leave everyone's mouths as the playful banter, that was usually heard, began to fill the room once more.

Shin had paused with his hand on the door, shocked from finally hearing her acknowledge him. It felt good to hear his name come from her lips, even if it was by his last name. He turned his head to peer at her past the heads of his classmates. She seemed to be struggling, but she maintained eye contact with him. Progress.

"Everything you're teaching I know. So their really is no point in me staying here."

Though the noise level didn't drop, the rest of the class aptly paid attention to the two opposing figures.

Yankumi felt her ire rise. _Why that smart mouthed little bastard. _Putting her hands atop her desk, she leaned forward and glared at Sawada, "Whether or not you think you need this class is irrelevant. You're supposed to stay here and do what I say."

Shin snorted.

Yankumi narrowed her eyes.

"Look, we all know how smart you are Shin," her voice took on a condescending tone, "I give it to ya. You're a smart kid, but while you may be smarter than any of the students in this class, you don't know more than me. Now sit down, while I go get something more up to your level."

Shin's eyes had narrowed to the point of near slits and his jaws and fists were clenched hard enough to hurt. She was doing it again. Making him feel like an insignificant child. He was sick of the reminder. He already knew about their age gap, a mere six years. He didn't need her constant reminder of it too. "I'm quite aware of the fact that I'm not as knowledgeable as you are,_ oh great sensei_," and now his voice took on a mocking tone, "but as much as you know, there are people in this school who are smarter than you." With that said, he quietly opened the door and firmly shut it.

The class seemed as shocked as she was. Shin never talked to Yankumi that way. Sure he made fun of her, and sure he mocked her, but never like that. She was unsure of what to do for a few moments before she decided to go after him. She knew Shin was upset with her, but he didn't have to be so rude. Especially in front of her other students.

She was almost out the door when Kuma's voice stopped her. "Yankumi? Did something happen between you and Shin? You guys have been acting weird ever since you started going out with that cop."

Yamaguchi froze as all eyes turned to her. She never gave her students enough credit. She honestly did believe they were capable of anything they put their minds to, but when it came to the power of perception... she never expected much. And now, as she was being stared at by her entire class, she had no idea what to say to that.

"Ano...a-a-a-a-ano, um...nani?"

Instead of the usual mocking to her dim witted response, they just stared passively at her. She knew she was in deep shit. It was way too serious in there for comfort and she knew she wouldn't be able to brush them off with one of her usual off handed responses.

Minami turned to her then. "Come on Yankumi. What's going on? Theirs a lot of tension in here and it seems to be centered around you two, so what's the deal?" Their were small sounds of agreement coming from the rest of the class. It seemed that everyone had been wondering the same thing.

_Oh Kami-sama, what am I going to do?_ Yamaguchi thought morosely. She had no way of answering them without revealing too much. All their questioning, and slightly accusing, stares unnerved her. Most of all Uchis'. The way he stared at her made her feel as if he knew something. It was very unsettling.

"Wha-what are you guys talking about?" she laughed nervously. "Theirs no tension between us. You guys are imagining things."

"Oh don't give us that crap Yankumi," Uchi growled. "We know that something happened between you two, and we want to know what it is! More than that, we deserve to know." The class was loud in their sounds of agreement, and Uchi's words seemed to open up a flood gate of questions.

"He's right; we have a right to know Yankumi."

"What'd you do?"

"Yeah, did you piss off Shin or something?"

"What did you do Yankumi?"

"What did you do?"

The class was boisterous in their quest to know the truth. In all honesty, she was slightly hurt that they would automatically think that she was the one at fault. _Of course they think it's all my fault_, she thought bitterly, _they would never think their precious leader could do anything wrong_. She began to panic. She had to give them an answer and she was never good at lying.

"Look you guys, anything that happened between Sawada and I is between us and will be fixed. You guys really have no right to butt in like this." She hoped the answer would make them lay off her. It didn't. Instead it seemed to fuel their indignation and anger.

"Don't treat us like we're fucking kids Yankumi," Uchi yelled. Yankumi could only stand in shock. "You always do that! You act like we're babies that need to be protected and coddled and like you know everything that's best for us. We may not be adults," and at this Uchi pointed his finger at Yankumi's face, "but we're not kids either. We're old enough to make our own decisions and decide what we wanna do with our lives." The end of his rant was followed by cheers and affirmations by the entire class.

Yankumi had been ready to retort until he said that last sentence. It seriously got her thinking. _I don't act like that... do I? _The thought that they may be right put a lot of things into perspective for her. Shin wasn't an adult, but he wasn't a child either, he was a man. A young man, but still a man and he was old enough to make his own decisions and decide what he wanted out of life. _Do I baby him?_ She would have to find Shin and have to have a serious talk with him. But first, she had to deal with her students.

"You're absolutely right Uchi. I do baby you guys and I apologize for that, but you guys are not only my students, you're my _first_ students and that makes me want to protect you guys in every way. I don't want to baby you, but I do want to help you. Now I know that things seem... weird between me and Shin, but you guys are just gonna have to trust me when I say that I'm going to fix it on my own." At Uchi's snort, Yankumi lost it. All she had done for them and the nerve of that little... "Ungrateful bastard! Haven't I always been there for you? For all of you? Haven't I always helped you when no one else would? Haven't I always given you all the benefit of the doubt despite your less than charming reputations? Haven't I? And the first time I ask you to just trust me, and this is the response I get? Would you like it if I just treated you like everybody else did? Huh?" She looked across the classroom where no one met her glare. "I don't deserve this attitude, and I don't know how much more of it I can take. Something has to change because **this**, is not working."

Just when she was sure she was going to say something regrettable, the bell, like an angel sent from above, rang, signifying the end of class and the end of her torment.

"Oh thank Kami," she breathed. With a speed that would make others question her humanity, she fled out the classroom and ran down the hall while shouting out homework instructions, leaving a stunned class in her wake. She finally stopped running when she reached the landing that would soon lead her up to the roof.

"That was entirely too close. I don't know how much more of this I can take. I'm gonna end up with an ulcer because of all this. This is all that damn Sawada's fault! If he had left me alone, and not violated the teacher student relationship then this would've nev... Hold on Kumiko. You can't keep blaming him, and complaining won't solve or change anything." She nodded her head in agreement, anger gone. "I vowed to resolve this and, dammit, I'm gonna do it." With her objective set out, Yamaguchi marched up the steps and to the roof. Stopping in front of the door, she put her hand out and prepared herself. "Fight-o O!"

Flinging open the door, she squared her shoulders and marched through.

* * *

Shin was lying against one of the walls, arms folded behind his head, gazing up at the sky. In all honesty, he wasn't even that mad. He was too used to it to still get angry every time she unwittingly made a rude comment. Resigned. That's how he felt; resigned. He was coming to terms with how things were going to be between him and Yamaguchi, but, dammit, he didn't like it.

Shin sighed. _Maybe I should've waited until I graduated to make my feelings known_, Shin thought. _I knew she'd act this way once I told her. At least if I had waited until I graduated she wouldn't have to worry about losing her job. _

Shin sat up, resting his arms on his knees. The weight of their situation finally hitting him with the force of a Mack truck. He was being selfish, he realized. Selfish and childish. He finally understood Yamaguchi's conflict. She already had enough to worry about being a yakuza princess, but he was adding on to it by trying to start a relationship with her. He felt stupid for taking so long to realize something that seemed so obvious. More than stupid, he felt like a child. He leaned forward, resting his head on his arms. He knew how important teaching was to her, and here he was jeopardizing that.

_She's right. I'm not that smart_, he thought wryly. It was a child's selfishness that made him go after Yamaguchi, and it was an adult's admission that let him realize his selfishness. He couldn't help it though. He never felt this way about anyone before, and he doubted he ever would... Looking back up to the sky, he couldn't deny his truth. He was in love with his teacher. He was in love in with an older woman, who was in love with another man. Shin snorted. _How's that for mellow drama? _He would apologize, he reasoned. He would apologize for only thinking of himself and his own wants and needs, and for not thinking about how strenuous it was for her to deal with.

His thoughts were disrupted by the loud slamming open of the door. _Yamaguchi?_ He thought,_ She actually came after me?_ He faced forward once more, a small smile on his face. It felt like it'd been years since they'd last met on the roof. He couldn't deny that he missed seeing her up in, what he dubbed, their special place. Going back to his original position, Shin closed his eyes and feigned a nonchalance he didn't feel.

That's how Yamaguchi found him. Arms folded behind his head, shoulders leaning up against the wall, legs slightly bent. The picture of nonchalance. _Bastard_.

Yamaguchi marched over to Shin, arms akimbo. Glaring down at him, seeing him look so calm, she could barely contain her fury. She felt as though her world was falling apart around her and there he lied, acting as though everything was okay. It wasn't okay. Nothing was okay.

Kicking him on the foot, Yamaguchi felt her resolve shrivel away in the face of her resentment and rage. "What kind of crap are you trying to pull Sawada?" she barely managed to keep her voice from screaming. "Do you have any idea what you're doing? What you've done? Because of you, the entire class is suspicious of me! Are you trying to ruin my life?"

Yamaguchi's rant fell on deaf ears, as Shin stood up and just stared at her. _I was right_, he thought morosely, _I am jeopardizing her career_. Shin was brought back to focus when Yamaguchi snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Are you listening to me?" Shin just stared. "I can't believe you!" she said in a furious whisper. "I cannot believe how utterly selfish and thoughtless you are! I am so disappointed in you Shin. I really thought you were better than this. And you call yourself a man. I can't see ho-" Yamaguchi was cut off as Shin finally erupted, eyes blazing.

"I know! I know I've been selfish! I know I've been thoughtless! I don't need you to shove that in my face!" Shin moved a hand through his hair, and started pacing. This wasn't how he imagined this conversation going.

"A real man would suck it up! Not bitch about it! Take Tomoya-san for example, he analyzes a problem before acting thoughtlessly and is prepared for the consequences if things don't go according to plan. Tomoya-san knows that his choices can affect those around him, and is smart enough to act accordingly," she shouted back. _What am I doing? Why am I bringing up Shinohara?_ This wasn't how she pictured the conversation going.

Shin felt his control snap._ A real man? Tomoya? Since when was she on a first name basis with him? _She did it again. She was reminding him, that once again, she was an adult and he was still a minor. A minor that didn't stand a chance against her precious Shinohara. Storming up to her he grabbed her by the arms. "I am twice the man that Tomoya bastard will ever be," he said in a furious whisper, before crushing her to him and giving her a bruising kiss.

Their was nothing gentle about the kiss. It was all teeth and smashing lips. Yamaguchi closed her eyes for second, simply giving into the moment, before she began to struggle. Pulling out of his grasp, she slapped him, breath harsh.

"Have you lost your damn mind?" angry with herself for the huskiness in her voice.

"Yes!" Shin shouted before surging forward and, this time, pushing her up against the wall, her arms held above her head, his body flush against hers, giving her a forceful kiss that scorched her deep in to her soul.

In an attempt to bite him, Yamaguchi opened her mouth. Mistake. Shin immediately took advantage and forced his tongue in, tasting her. Yamaguchi moaned in spite of herself.

As soon as it happened it was over. Shin abruptly let her go, making Yamaguchi stumble, her knees giving out on her until she ended up on the floor. Struggling to get his breathing under control, Shin looked down at Yankumi, who still seemed lost. He felt satisfied and disgusted with himself at the same time. Getting his bag, he headed for the door. "Later Yamaguchi," he muttered.

Hours later, Yamaguchi still knelt in the same spot, in a daze. _My resolve...my promise... what the hell happened? _

* * *

She couldn't say how she got home. Nothing registered in her mind, everything was just a blur. Only one thing, one person, remained a constant in her mind; Shin. She felt like she was in a daze. She completely ignored logic and slapped one of her students. She completely lost control. And Shin... She had never seen him act that way before.

_Did I cause that?_ She wondered. _Am I the reason why Shin is acting so... crazy? Obsessed? Wild? _Her mind provided. Kumiko sighed, fingers tightening briefly around her cup of tea, before loosening. She was sitting on the back porch of her home, gazing into the star filled night.

Unknown to her, her cronies were all gathered behind her, trying to discover what was wrong with their precious Ojou.

"What do you think happened to Ojou?" Minoru asked.

"Maybe that cop she's dating broke up with her?" Guessed Wakamatsu.

"He better not be the reason my Ojou's in turmoil because if he is, he'll find himself swimming with the fishes at the bottom of Tokyo Bay," raged Tetsu.

"Calm yourself Tetsu," admonished Kuroda. "Have any you actually asked her what's wrong?"

Looking at their blank faces he could already guess their answers. He sighed, "And why haven't you asked her?"

Wakamatsu move forward. "But Kumichou, Ojou can be very scary when she is like this. It is impossible to know how she'll react... and one of us usually ends up getting hurt." The others nodded their heads in affirmation.

Kuroda puffed on his pipe for a bit before laughing. "You're right. She is her mother's daughter. She had a fiery unpredictable temper too. I will go talk to her." He said as he got up and walked towards his granddaughter.

* * *

Kumiko was, once again, contemplating her relationship with Shin and what she could do to fix it. That's all she seemed to think about lately. Shin. Even when she didn't want to the damn brat wormed his way in to her thoughts.

She sighed. This wasn't how she envisioned things would be when she became a teacher. She imagined respectful students who would draw inspiration from her as she drew strength from them. Who would be the best at everything because she believed in them and because they encouraged one another. She would meet a fellow teacher who also shared her beliefs and passion for teaching and they would work together improving the learning world and making it a better place for students everywhere! ...Then she found out that she would be working at Shiroken... A school known for its horrid reputation and problematic students. She was hesitant at first, it wasn't what she envisioned, but she was happy just to become a teacher and as long as she could help and educate the youth of her country, she was more than happy to accept the job. Once she was told she'd have 3-D and she saw the pitying stares given to her, her resolve had, once again, wavered. But after hearing the way Kyoto would just so callously write them off like that her resolve had strengthened and she swore that she would make these delinquents be the best students they could be.

Admittedly, her students did** not** have the best grades. Did **not** have the best attendance. Did **not** have the best athletes. Certainly didn't have the best attitudes. But in her opinion, they **had** the best hearts. She had seen for herself the transformation and the lengths they would go through to protect one another, and that had made her happy and proud to call them her students; especially knowing that she had a part in it. She was helping and making a difference just like she had always dreamed of doing.

She did not, however, ever picture one of her students falling in love with her_. _She had hoped and expected her students to love her and she would love them in return, but the love she was thinking of was more platonic. Sawada appeared to be **in** love with her, not just love her. And their inlayed the problem. Her students were supposed to **love** her, not **be in **love with her. She hadn't prepared for this development. It never occurred to her that something like this could happen.

She sighed into her, now, ice cold tea. As she watched the little stick float around and move slightly because of the ripples, she pondered the ways of the world, and whether or not it was true that everything happens for a reason. If that were the case, then what did that mean for her and Shin? What did that mean for her and Shinohara? The man she thought she loved, but was quickly growing tired of. She sighed for the umpteenth time and changed her gaze to look at the stars. She wanted to turn her brain off and just take in the natural beauty, but it seemed that no matter what she wanted, her mind would be forever plagued with her conflicting predicament until it was solved.

She felt like bashing her head against the wall she was leaning against. _Why me?_

She knocked out her pity party when she felt her ojii-san settle down next to her. She could smell the herbs from his pipe and the smell that she began to associate with her ojii-san comforted her somewhat. At least _he_ would never change.

Looking up at the stars that glittered the night sky like diamonds, Kuroda blew a few smoke rings into the air before facing his granddaughter. He had been noticing her inner turmoil for awhile now and he finally decided that it was time that he try to assess the situation and then offer her some words of wisdom. He wanted her to grow on her own, but she was still young and could use a little guidance every now and again.

"Eh, Kumiko, you seem to be in conflict with yourself. Is their anything wrong?"

Knowing that it would be useless to try and act like their was nothing bothering her, Kumiko wondered exactly how much to tell her grandfather and what was better left unsaid. "Ojii-san, have you ever had your heart be in total conflict with your mind? A few... situations have developed in my life and I am unsure what to do. All my previous beliefs are being questioned and what I thought I knew to be right is suddenly... debatable. I'm just so... confused. And tired. I'm sick of being in conflict with myself, but if I make a hasty decision I could end losing and hurting someone important to me. What should I do?"

Kuroda took some more puffs from his pipe and allowed his own anxiousness to breathe out along with the smoke. Kuroda acknowledged that he was not a young man and could no longer do most of thing that he use to take for granted, but even with all of his youth, energy, and strength failing his mind was still as sharp as ever. Kuroda was no fool. He had noticed the shaky relationship that seemed to be developing between his daughter and the young Shin Sawada. And if he had any doubts about the boy's feeling for his granddaughter they were gone when he saw just how much turmoil was in his eyes when Kumiko had started to forbid Shin from having dinner at their home. And any mention about that cop who seemed fixated on his granddaughter automatically had the boy clenching his jaw and his fists. The boy was in love with Kumiko, and judging from the confusion and turmoil that rolled off her in waves, he had made his feelings known.

His poor oblivious grandchild. He had wondered how she would react when it finally became known to her. He knew she wouldn't be jumping for joy, but he thought that she might handle things with a little more grace and tact. But considering the aura he was sensing from her and the tone he got from the boy when he called, just to check up, it seemed that his grandchild had reacted purely on instinct instead of taking the time to analyze both his feelings and hers. He held no doubt in his mind that Kumiko held some sort of feelings for the boy. She conversed with him the most and he was the only one who knew about her yakuza background. She trusted him with things she wouldn't trust other to. She held the boy in high esteem and because she knew that on some level, she did care for Shin, it would hurt her all the more and make her think less of herself as a teacher.

Of course, it could be reasoned that she would react this way if she had a falling out with any of her students, but he sincerely doubted that she would be filled with as much agony and conflict as she was now if it had been any one of her other students. She work at making the situation better, not spend all this time wondering and contemplating.

Kuroda liked the boy. Shin Sawada was a fine young man. He had heart, he had passion, he had drive, and he had intelligence. All good qualities to find in a man, especially at his age. He thought Shin would take good care of his granddaughter. He'd look out for her, provide for her, and most importantly, he'd love her. He wouldn't have to worry about having to sick his crew on him because he got a call one day from Kumiko in tears about how she was being abused or mistreated. Admittedly, he would prefer someone a little older for his Kumiko, but their was no denying the passion that inlaid everything he did. He'd make a fine son-in-law.

It was with all these facts and knowledge in mind, that he finally spoke. "Kumiko, the only time your heart will be at war with your mind is when you feel very passionate about something. If it's minor, then you can make any decision you want and if it doesn't work out, that's unfortunate, but it's not as bothersome to you. The fact that you are so utterly conflicted and completely at a loss shows that you care deeply for what ever it is that troubles you. When in such deep conflict, it's best to listen to both what your heart and mind have to say, but if you find yourself at a standoff with no end in sight, then it's always best to follow your heart."

"But Ojii-san, what if my heart's wrong? What if I make a mistake and end up regretting it for the rest of my life?" she implored.

Kuroda smiled gently at the desperation in her voice. _To be young again_, he thought. "Has listening to your heart ever led you astray before?" She shook her head and opened her mouth in question, but Kuroda continued to speak, not giving her a chance to continue to place doubts. "And it never will. If you listen to your heart then you will find the inner peace that you seek, because even if it ends up becoming unpleasant, you won't be in conflict about it anymore because you know you did what you felt best and you'll have no regrets. Life is full of ups and downs. Just like your roller coasters. You tend to start low in life, but as you get older and more experienced you get higher. Then something might happen to bring you back down or throw you for a curve. It's a never ending cycle Kumiko. The only difference is that you decide the final out come. Life is what you make it. If you choose to be happy, then even with hell breaking loose all around you, you'll still find the ray of hope that gets you through the day. If you choose to let all the little things overwhelm you, then something as minor as a stubbed toe will ruin your day," Kuroda tapped the ashes left in his pipe on the wooden floor and stood up. "Follow your heart Kumiko and you'll live a life with no regrets." with his parting words of wisdom he went inside and closed the shoji door allowing her, her privacy.

Kumiko laid back and contemplated her grandfather's words. _Follow your heart and you'll live a life with no regrets._ Slapping her legs, she stood up with a look of determination on her face. She would not let things stand the way they were. She would talk to Sawada and resolve this once and for all, and what ever happened, happened. Rushing to the door, she hurriedly put on her shoes and sped outside, feeling her old confidence for the first time in weeks.

* * *

Shin felt restless. Why did things never go the way he planned when he was dealing with Yamaguchi? He hadn't meant to kiss her. He hadn't meant to put his hands on her. They were supposed to rationally talk things out like two adults. Only that didn't happen. Instead, she lost her temper, something he was still confused about, and he had lost his in return.

Shin was sprawled out on his couch, with one arm laying on his forehead and the other hanging off the edge of the couch. He had immediately changed out of his school uniform and into his P.E. shorts; the clothes made his skin feel itchy. Gazing up at the ceiling, though not really seeing it, Shin wondered about what his next move should be. _I have completely screwed things up. Why'd it have to be this way? _He was turning into a complete asshole. He was alienating himself from his friends, Uchi still refused to speak to him, Yamaguchi was starting to despise him... He had messed things up so bad he wasn't sure if he'd be able to fix it.

He wanted things back to the way they were. He wanted his friends to speak to him and goof around like they always did. He wanted that damn cop out of the picture and put as an unattainable fantasy for the women again. He wanted Yamaguchi to feel comfortable around him again. He'd rather go back to being just another one of her precious students than have things as the way they were now. At least before he still had fun and he still had hope, but now... He didn't know what the future held for him and his friends or him and Yamaguchi. He was sure that he could reconcile with his friends easy enough. A simple apology or peace offering would fix that, but now, because of the fight that had happened between him and Uchi, their would always be an underlying tension. They could ignore it, but that wouldn't make it disappear. Usually the same could be said with Yamaguchi, but the fights they had were much more different from the fights that he and Uchi had had. Things could never go back to the way they were for them, and he regretted that most of all.

Shin was interrupted from his morose thoughts by a loud banging on the door. _Who the hell... _It was midnight. He didn't know who would be at his door this late. As he got up to answer it, he entertained the idea that it could be Yamaguchi, but then quickly dismissed it. What would she be doing here this late? And she was still mad at him, so she'd have no reason to come over. Sighing, he opened up the door.

* * *

Yamaguchi had been going over in her head exactly what she would say on the way to Shin's apartment. She would be firm and up-front with him. He would listen to what she had to say and she would do the same for him. They would consider one another's feelings and work some kind of solution. She would stay there all night if she had to. She would refuse to leave until this issue was resolved. Nodding her head in affirmation of her own thoughts, Yamaguchi finally began to notice the lack of people on the usual busy streets. Exactly how late was it? She checked her phone and blanched at the time. _12:17? It was that late?_ She began to falter. Maybe she should wait until a more acceptable time. _No_, she shook her head. She would settle this now once and for all.

With renewed purpose, she marched all the way to Shin's apartment where she began banging on the door. What was taking him so long? Was he asleep? Just as she was about to start banging with more force, the door opened.

Any words she was going to say froze in her mouth as soon as she caught her first look of Shin. He stood in the doorway, hair tousled, eyes dark and smoldering, and wearing nothing but some low hanging boxers. How had she ever thought him to be a child? Against her will, she found her eyes tracing the contours of his body. She was surprised. With clothes on, he didn't look very buff. In fact, he looked kind of scrawny, and while she knew their to be strength in his lean build, she never thought that he'd have the body to prove it as well.

Her slow observation of his torso didn't go unnoticed by the man in question, nor did it have no affect on him. He could feel his body tightening as she continued her perusal. As she unconsciously licked her lips, Shin's control almost snapped. He felt the overwhelming need to grab her and pull her against his body, but having remembered what usually happened when he acted without thinking, he ignored the need.

Gritting his teeth, he asked, "Did you want something Yamaguchi?" his voice betrayed the frustrated desire he was feeling and came out as a low growl.

Snapping out of her less than pure thoughts, Yamaguchi blushed and turned her head to the side, looking at the wall. She couldn't get herself to look him in the eye quite yet.

In her embarrassment, she wanted to snap at him for catching her checking him out, but she remembered that she was there for a reason and she wouldn't let anyone or anything dissuade her from her purpose. With that in mind, she stepped in without explaining herself.

Looking around, she noticed that everything still looked the same as it did since the last time she visited. Clean, untouched, and sterile. _The man could use some pictures to make the place feel more welcome_, she thought. Shaking herself, she turned to face him. It was harder than she wanted to admit to retain eye contact. "Sawada, we need to talk. Things have been too awkward between us for too long and this is unacceptable. I don't like the way things are. Our problems have begun to affect those around us and this can no longer continue. So me and you are gonna talk this out until we come up with a way to fix it. Okay?" she was proud of herself for remaining so firm with him. She could do this.

Sawada slowly rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hand and then continued upwards to rake his fingers through his hair. He let out a big sigh. "Yeah, I know. Things have become... crazy. I never wanted it to be this way, Yamaguchi. I guess I just let things... get out of hand." He started towards the kitchen. "Go sit down. I'll make us some tea."

"Feel free to put a shirt on too," she muttered.

"What was that?" Shin called out.

"Er, uh, nothing," she stuttered.

Shin frowned, but continued to pull out packets of tea.

Yamaguchi settled on the couch and laid her jacket across the back. She decided that if she was going to do this right then she couldn't look at it like a math problem. She'd have to speak from her heart or else one, or both, of them would end up going away mad at the other. That had happened enough and she had no desire to keep up the repetitive routine any longer.

She waited until Shin settled down next to her, a respectful distance away, to speak to him. She was chagrined to notice that he had only managed to put on sweat pants over his boxers. _Looks like he'll be forgoing a shirt this evening. Great, just great. That'll make having this conversation so much easier. _Making sure to keep eye contact, she started. "Look Sawada, I know in the past that I've treated you like a kid and I've tried to... baby you, but you must realize that I never did any of that on purpose. I just wanted to help and protect you. All of you. I only wanted you all to receive the best things out of life, but I now realize that only you can say what's best for you. I just hope you'll let me help you on the way there."

Shin sat silently, absorbing everything she said. He wasn't sure how he expected the conversation to start, but that certainly wasn't it. She was speaking to him as one adult would to another. He relished in the small victory. He was no longer being treated as a child, and she was even acknowledging the fact that she had been treating him like one. Things were starting to look up.

"Thank you Yamaguchi. I needed to hear that. I know that you just want to help us, but there is a fine line between nurturing and babying. It means a lot to us that you're always there and that you look out for us, but you have to remember that you're teaching a class full of young men. We're going to want to do things our own way, regardless if our way leads to disaster... I'm sorry for yelling at you. It wasn't your fault, and I could've handled things better. I guess I just over-reacted. Every time I stopped to think if I could do things differently, I had already made things worse. I should have never dumped on you like that. Gomen."

"I never should have banned you from coming over to my house any more. That was... wrong of me and I never should have done it. The guys miss you," she mumbled.

Shin smiled. "It's okay. I never should have insulted you in front of the class like that, or at all. You didn't deserve that either. I just got defensive and I lashed out. That was childish of me."

They sat there for awhile not saying anything. Shin leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and Yamaguchi sitting sideways with one leg curled on the couch and the other hanging off. The sudden whistling of the tea kettle made them both jump. They both shared an embarrassed smile. "Be back in a minute," he said, getting up.

Yamaguchi smiled. She felt good, like a weight had been lifted. They were finally reconciling and talking things out. Things could go back to normal. She felt a pressure ease in her chest. She sat up as Shin walked back and handed her the tea. His brows were furrowed, it seemed like there was still something plaguing his mind.

They sipped their tea quietly and made small talk. Wakamatsu's daughter had won second place in the science fair. Natsumi had gotten all A's on her report card and as a reward, was going to with her friends to a hotspring in Okinawa.

"Are we really going to do this? Shin asked softly.

Yamaguchi's heart rate sped up. "Do what?"

Shin snorted. "Pretend like theirs nothing between us. You can ignore it if you want to, but that doesn't change anything." He put his tea cup on the table and faced her.

Yamaguchi followed; panic beginning to make its way into her stomach, making it churn painfully. "Shin, please. Can't we just go back to the way we were? We can pretend this never happened."

Shin's nostrils flared and he began to shake his head. "Iie, Yamaguchi. We need to talk about this. I was waiting for you to bring it up, but I see you had no intention of doing that, so I will." Shin made his way closer to Yamaguchi and grabbed her hands, staring intently in her eyes. "Yamaguchi Kumiko, suki desu. I'm not sure when it started, but I've felt this way for awhile. Aishiteru Yamaguchi Kumiko."

Yamaguchi was stone cold still. She didn't move. She didn't blink. She even forgot to breathe for a few seconds; which caused her less than graceful choking gasp. "Ehhhhhhhh?"

Shin smiled in a chiding manner. "I suggest you get used to the idea Kumiko, because I love you and theirs nothing you, or anyone else, can do to change that." Shin whispered the last words as a soft caress against her lips. Glancing once to look in to her eyes, he closed the distance and gave her the gentlest of kiss that left a burn mark on her heart. His lips trailed over to her cheek where he then rubbed it with his own; scent marking her. He pulled away, satisfied with the look on Yamaguchi's face.

Slowly, reluctantly, he pulled away from her and helped her to stand. Yamaguchi, in some vegetated shock mode from the kiss, could do no more than comply.

Shin helped her into her jacket and led her to the door, stopping to help her into her shoes. Opening the door, he guided her to the stand. Leaning in, he rubbed his cheek against hers once more then whispered, "I turn 18 in 2 weeks and graduate in 4 months. I won't be your student for long Kumiko-chan." With that, he pecked her on the nose and gently shut the door.

It took Yamaguchi ten minutes before she finally moved away from the door and started to make her way home, her mind in a daze.

* * *

End Chapter 5: _Tension_

* * *

Frickin' A! I just got Dr. Phil on yo asses with that "follow your heart" crap. Totally made that shit up and it sounded good, huh! I should get a tv show. I can fake a country accent real well. =]

This was **not **easy to write, but I did my best to lighten the mood and make it seem believable. I was gettin tired of writin all that angsty crap. For those who have been with me since this story _originally_ came out, if you noticed, this story started off as romance/comedy. This was s'pose to be a light hearted fic, but because I let my hands do the talking, it came out like this. This making it up as I go along crap ain't workin no more. I'ma have to try something else.

What really got my butt in gear to update this is I no longer have the luxury of time. I (dun dun dunnnnnn) have JOINED THE MOTHER FREAKIN AIR FORCE! YEAH BABY! And yes, I already know, I'm awesome. =)

R&R! Lates! ***Obsidian Tigress***


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